


Of all the things I hate, you're not one of them

by Lord_of_Spirits_and_Bazongas



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Eventual Smut, F/F, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, chasefield
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2018-06-06 05:07:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 32,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6739291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lord_of_Spirits_and_Bazongas/pseuds/Lord_of_Spirits_and_Bazongas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After being forced to spend some time with Victoria, Max, surprisingly, finds herself thinking about her a lot. She wants to become friends with her, yet there's a part of her that wants more than that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Up close, you're not so bad

Victoria Maribeth Chase. It was a name that everyone in Blackwell had heard of. It didn’t matter if you were a new student, or just about to graduate. Every student and teacher knew that name. There were some students in the Blackwell Academy that heard the name more often than others, though. Vortex Club members were one such group; but outside of that, there were still individuals who got to, or in some cases, had to come face to face with the Queen Bitch of Blackwell.

 

Max Caulfield was one such “fortunate” individual.   
  
“You can’t be serious.” Max grunted. It wasn’t like her to let a teacher’s decision get her this riled up. Let alone one that was teaching physical education. But her decision was doomed to fail. “You can’t p-pair me with her!” Max practically spat out while waving her finger at Victoria, who was busy leaning up against a wall, doing her best to ignore her completely.   
  
The teacher was clearly having a bad day to begin with. Max felt a nervous lump in her throat when the teacher leaned over to take a closer look at Max’s freckled face.   
“I just did. The bigger question here is, do you want to pass this course or not, Max?”   
  
Max didn’t feel like answering that question. Despite her being rather healthy, physical exercises were a thing she wasn’t particularly fond of. It was one thing to chase good material for an amazing photo, or run around with Chloe; but having to do jumping jacks at 8 AM was something Max never wanted to do again in her life. Now though, there was an obstacle on her course. A big one, in form of one Victoria Chase. It was by some miracle that neither of them had their usual partners to train around with. Kate, who was the image of not just purity, but also perfect health, had somehow caught the flu, and Taylor, who Victoria was paired with apparently had a stomach ache. All of the other girls were busy jumping and training together, leaving only the two rivaling photographers to stare and ignore one another.   
  
“I do, b-but--”   
  
“Then there are no buts. You go there and do your exercises with her or you’re both going to fail this course. Do you understand that?” The teacher asked. Her tone made it very clear that she wasn’t joking around.    
  
Part of Max wanted to push it further, in hopes of finding a way out of this in a way that didn’t involve Victoria, but even her creative mind couldn’t come up with one. Max opened up her mouth and raised her finger in protest, but no word came out. Max knew that she couldn’t find a loophole out of this one. She had to face her fears, even if that fear came in the form of short, stylized hair and clearly expensive lipstick.  _ Who even wore lipstick during gym class? _

 

Max had been sure that facing the PE teacher would be the coldest sight she’d face that day, but once again she was wrong. It was nothing compared to the icy stare Victoria gave her when Max made her way towards her. It was clear that neither of them were happy about the results, but given how they were both in a similar situation, it was clearly for the best that they put their differences aside, and, for once, work together.   
  
“So you heard what the teacher said, right?” Max asked after the silence between the two had started to turn awkward. It didn’t take long for that to happen with Victoria.   
  
“Yes, I did.” Victoria sighed as she rubbed her forehead, as if to relieve her headache. 

 

Max wasn’t certain if Victoria was angry at the teacher or her, nor did it really matter.   
“Okay, okay. That’s...that’s good. So I don’t have to explain to you why this is sorta important for both of us. For all I know, you’re not a very big fan of these classes either…?” Max raised one of her eyebrows ever so slightly. 

 

As someone who was used to glancing at people up close, Max had developed a heightened sense when it came to reading people. Victoria was like an open book, as one could read her emotions quite easily. The fact that Victoria’s constant mood was one of either annoyance, or superiority to everyone else helped this hypothesis. It was clear that Victoria wasn’t very keen on redoing the whole course either. That much was clear from listening to her melodramatic sighs, and the rolling of her eyes.

  
“No, I’m not. I guess that makes it two of us, then.” Victoria glanced down at Max with a rather odd smirk on her face. If this was Victoria’s way of complimenting Max, she should definitely try a different sort of approach.   
  
“Shit, grab my hands!” Max coughed up as she hopped closer to Victoria, grabbing a hold of her palms. Her own sweaty fingers interlocked with Victoria’s manicured ones.  _ Wait, manicured fingernails in gym class? This is rich even for you Victoria. _ __  
__  
“What is your problem, Maxine?” Victoria snarled under her breath. Victoria wanted to raise her voice as Max wasn’t letting go of her, but she wasn’t the only one who was good at reading other people. Max was smiling back at her, but she could see the look on her face. It was telling her to play along. With the teacher being behind her, Victoria made the assumption that they had spent too much time bickering already. Acting like they cared about the class finally moved the teacher’s spotlight gaze away from them...at least momentarily.   
“Hey, I know that neither of us likes this, but we have to get along. At least for the next hour or so.” Max said rather quietly. Whispering would be way too quiet in the midst of all the other sounds, but nor could she just say something in a normal tone. Their teacher was old, but if the legends were true, some of the teachers, especially the cranky ones, had developed exceptional hearing over the years. Maybe it was just a story to scare the students, but Max wasn’t willing to take any chances now.   
  
“Fine, fine. I assume she was looking at us?” Victoria asked as she glanced down at Max. She had looked at her many times before, be it because they were in the same class, or because getting a rise out of her was one of Victoria’s favorite things to do in Blackwell, but now, for the first time ever, she truly got to see her up close and personal. Max most definitely fit the definition of a dork rather perfectly. She always had her unique style in practically everything. She didn’t fit in with most people, yet she was still liked by many. She wasn’t stunning in terms of looks, yet even Victoria couldn’t dismiss that her freckled face and her smile were oddly alluring. The more Victoria looked at her, the harder it was for her to try to stay mad at her. Perhaps for once, she could treat her like an equal. Or as equal as someone like Max could be treated.   
  
“Yeah, she was. Was it that easy to predict, huh?” Max asked. It took a moment for her to realize that the two had started to dance. The perks of having a ‘free’ session in PE class, was that everyone could do whatever they wanted. Dancing with Victoria was a lot like dancing with Chloe. While Chloe didn’t often smell half as good as Victoria did, the two were rather similar in some ways. Both of them were notably taller than Max was, so it came naturally to have to arch her neck up to look at her partner. Victoria and Chloe also both had rather dominant personalities. In a dance, they both liked to lead; which was made obvious by the way they held their partner’s hands.   
  
“It was. From what I know, she loves to see students fail. Apparently it gives her some sort of satisfaction. Fits Blackwell perfectly if you ask me. Sick bastard.” Victoria mumbled and shook her head. It had taken her a moment to realize that she was now dancing with the girl she considered her rival. Even if part of her wanted to hate it, she didn’t feel the need to say it. For once, she had a dance partner who didn’t complain about the fact that her rhythm was a tad bit off. Everyone always expected her to be perfect, but Max was staying mostly quiet. Victoria could tell that Max was also enjoying herself, as unexpected as it was. After this, everything would return to normal; but for that glimmeringly short moment... there was peace between the two photographing rivals.

 

*

 

Despite simply spending an hour dancing, Max had still worked up quite a bit of a sweat. Her sleeveless t-shirt had gotten wet and sticky enough to glue onto her skin, so skipping a shower definitely wasn’t an option. Unlike the other girls, the teacher wanted to have a chat with Max after class, so by the time she got to the changing room, almost everyone else was either gone, or just about to leave. There was still the sound of water dripping from the shower area, so Max knew that she wasn’t entirely alone.   
  
_ “Weird to think about it, but I can’t even remember the last time me and Victoria have seen eye to eye on things.” _ Max pondered, as she took off her sweaty shirt.  _ “For once, we kinda got along. That was...nice. I know that she keeps up that act just to impress others or...I don’t really know why exactly.” _ __  
__  
One of the benefits of entering the shower late was that there was a lot of steam all around. The warm embrace guided Max underneath a shower head. Upon feeling the water flowing to cleanse her body of sweat, Max let out a satisfied moan. Soon,  the stress faded away with each drop of hot water.   
  
_ “I should try to make peace with Victoria. I know it’s probably a lot of work, but maybe it’ll all be worth it? I mean, she clearly enjoys photography just like I do, so we do have a common hobby at least. And I can sorta reason with her...sometimes.” _ Max shrugged her thoughts off, and turned her back at the shower. _ “Yet...she’s kinda pretty too.” _ Max stopped her train of thought for a moment upon realizing what exactly was going through her mind. She was actually thinking that Victoria Chase was an attractive person. Thinking about other girls wasn’t anything new to Max. She had come in terms with her sexuality a long time ago, but never before had she connected Victoria into the category of ladies that she actually liked to look at and think about.   
  
_ “Wait...no, you are NOT  thinking about Victoria Chase like that. Stop it, Max.”  _ Max hit her head a few times as if to kill that very idea before it could bloom. Sadly though, it was already too late. She had just spent an entire hour with the self proclaimed Queen of Blackwell, dancing and talking with her as if they were on a date. She had interlocked her fingers with Victoria’s. She had stared into her brown eyes and seen past her act. Max had gotten a  glimpse of the actual Victoria, and now she realized that she wanted more.  _ “But...she was easy on the eyes at least. Yes, she had a horrible, horrible personality, but let’s just ignore that for now, okay?” _ Max asked herself as she put some shampoo into her hair.   
  
_ “Well yes, she’s kinda pretty. A bit like Chloe, if Chloe was rich and uptight and totally not funny.” _ Max smirked at her own thoughts. She made a mental note to remember this particular burn in case she ever needed some shots to fire against Victoria. _ “So maybe there is something good about her? I mean, I got along with her for an entire hour. That’s more genuine interaction than we’ve had in the past few months. So maybe I should try to...I don’t know, befriend her?”  _ Max snorted at her new thoughts. She quickly stopped laughing, though,  when she realized she was actually, seriously considering her own thoughts as a valid option.   
  
__ “Befriend Victoria Chase? It’d make things a lot more easier...but how do I reach out to someone like her? I don’t have fancy clothes, or expensive jewelry, or a high tech camera…”  Max rubbed her forehead as she stepped out of the shower to dry herself off. With a towel wrapped around her chest, Max leaned in to take a closer look at herself. Her reflection, even with all the steam showed clear signs of stress. The bags under her eyes were notable even after a shower.    
  
“Get your shit together Max. Just...reach out to her.” Max said out loud. She had developed a habit of talking out loud at times, especially when she needed motivation. With her being the only person there, there was no worry that someone might hear her.

  
Or so she had thought.   
  
Max could see even through the misty reflection of the mirror that someone else had also finished showering. It didn’t take long for Max to figure out just who had been taking a shower with her. There were only few individuals in Blackwell who took this long to shower. Victoria was now glancing at her with a towel around her body, barely covering her most private of body parts as she glanced at Max.   
  
“Reach out to who?” Victoria asked as she crossed her arms under her chest.   
  
Max didn’t know how she had forgotten that she wasn’t alone. Had she been so deep in her thoughts that she had completely blocked the other sources of sound in her head? Whatever the answer was, it didn’t matter. Now she needed an excuse. An answer. Anything to get out of this mess quickly. Max gulped as she tried to look for a way out. In the back of her mind, she heard a voice telling her to face Victoria. To talk, and perhaps get a glimpse of her.   
  
“I um...I…” Max could only respond with a stutter. She wasn’t very good at lying to begin with, but lying to Victoria on the spot was a difficult task for even a professional liar.   
  
“What’s the matter, Maxine? Haven’t you ever seen a girl in a towel before?” Victoria asked. Max could practically smell the hint of superiority in her voice now even more than usual.   
  
“I...I gotta go!” Max bowed down and took her leave. Victoria saw just a glimpse of a figure running into the thick mist of steam. She could tell that Max almost lost her balance as she heard her cursing in the distance. Why was she in such hurry, when she clearly wasn’t while taking a shower?   
  
“You’re not just a dork Maxine, you’re just weird.” Victoria sighed. Yet for some reason, watching her mumble like that was enough to bring a smile to Victoria’s face. It was rare for her to smile without having to force it.  _ “Yet...I want to find out more about you, Maxine Caulfield.” _


	2. Hate, love or something in between

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a rather rough night, Max tries to face a new day. To her misfortune, Victoria isn’t letting Max off the hook easily.

Max was no stranger to a lack of sleep. While all-nighters were a common habit among many students in Blackwell, Max was one who was exceptionally used to being sleep deprivation. So much so that one could barely tell by looking at her if she had slept enough or not. Bags under the eyes and a rather drowsy, dreamy look, were all part of Max’s trademark appearance. Tonight, though, it seemed like she wouldn’t get even those measly few hours of shut eye. Thoughts of one girl kept her awake: Victoria Chase.  
  
_“At least I got out of there before she could question me further...but I just know she’ll be onto me tomorrow. Typical Victoria…”_ Max sighed as she rolled over in her bed. Max remembered reading an article on the web not so long ago how, about how it was practically impossible for a person to fall asleep if they were constantly thinking about something. Despite trying her hardest to empty her mind, Max couldn’t shake the visions and thoughts filling her head.  
  
_“Maybe I’ll ask Chloe for advice. She’s often awake at this hour. That, or she’ll be happy to help me, I think.”_ Max pondered as she grabbed her phone from her bedside table. The bright screen hurt her eyes for a moment, yet she didn’t let that stop her.  
  
**Max:  
** ‘Chloe, I kinda need your help. It’s about Victoria. Text me back asap k? ｢(ﾟﾍﾟ)’ Max pressed send and waited. Luckily for her, she didn’t have to wait very long for her phone to vibrate. Chloe’s grin popped up to lighten Max’s screen, as she got a quick answer from her most reliable friend.  
  
**Chloe:** **  
** ‘Victoria? What did she do to you now, huh? I swear if she hurt you again I’ll come back there personally to kick her rich ass.’

Max couldn’t help herself not to chuckle at Chloe’s response. She had always been like this. That’s just who Chloe was; protective and loyal

**Max:**  
‘No no no, it’s nothing like that, not this time around. I’m sorta...idk Chloe. It’s complicated. (；゜○゜)’ Max replied. She knew her answer was pretty much as vague as it could get. The problem was that even Max herself didn’t know just what she was feeling. Max’s phone vibrated again.  
  
**Chloe:  
** ‘Idk if you think I’m a detective or something, but that’s really not enough information to go by. Do you have the hots for that bitch? I thought you hated her. That uptight cunt. You deserve better than her.’ Max couldn’t really disagree with Chloe on that point. There were a lot of girls who’d love to be with her. There was no doubt about that. Yet for reasons still unknown to her, Max couldn’t shake the image of Victoria’s smug grin from her head, no matter how hard she tried to.

**Max:**  
‘I guess? We danced today (don’t ask why) and she was kinda nice to me, for once. And she smelled good and I mean she’s a real bitch, that’s true, but she’s also easy on the eyes. So do you think that this is...do I have the hots for her? (゜。゜)’ Max asked herself the same question out loud as she pressed send. She wanted to know the answer to her own question badly. The next reply from Chloe took a bit longer than before. Clearly Chloe had to actually put some thought into it this time around.

**Chloe:  
** ‘Do you have butterflies in your stomach? Do you think about her all the time? Sounds like a classic case to me. I still don’t know what you’re seeing in her, but I guess love is a bit weird like that. We don’t choose who we fall in love with. Can I get some shut eye now or do you need a love doctor? Want my price to help you with other stuff? I got some tips if you need help eating her out.’

While part of Max was rather curious to hear those tips from the one girl she knew had experience when it came to going down, this wasn’t really the right time to ask for that sort of advice. Snickering at Chloe’s response, Max started to type her response.

**Max:**  
‘Maybe another time. First I gotta kiss her you know? Or well, make sure that I even have a chance with her. She’s Victoria freakin’ Chase, the Queen Bitch of Blackwell.’

**Chloe:  
** ‘And you’re Max fuckin’ Caulfield. Don’t look down on yourself  like that. You can get any bitch you want, trust me. No one can resist that dorky face of yours. Now go get her champ.’

Max felt a smile coming to her face on its own. Chloe always knew how to cheer her up. “Thanks, Chloe.” Max whispered out loud right before sending the same message to Chloe.   
  
*  
  
Chloe’s encouraging words could only fill Max with so much energy. The morning classes were always the worst, even though photography was one of the few subjects in which Max exceeded at. Walking her way towards the classroom, Max barely registered the other students she passed by. Normally, Max would greet almost everyone; or at least the ones that she knew by name; but now she just wanted to get to sit down in her chair and pretend to listen. Glancing up to see what the time was, Max realized she was a few minutes late already.  
  
_“Shit.”_ Max cursed, as she made a run for it. The students who were still hanging in the hallway were nothing more than objects to her now. She’d have to dodge them in order to get to her destination. Relatively quickly, Max found her classroom. Not bothering to knock, Max swung the door open and made her way in.  
  
“Oh, good morning Max. You’re a bit late, but no matter. Just take a seat.” The teacher instructed.  
  
_“How can adults act like humans during the morning? That’s something I’ll never be able to understand.”_ Max pondered as she nodded back at her teacher. _“At least she didn’t make a big deal out of this one. I wish all teachers would be as chill.”_  
  
Despite the distance between the door and her desk being only a few meters long, it felt like an eternity. Max tried to keep her head down, but she couldn’t when she felt a pair of eyes practically shooting holes through her. There she was again; as perfect as always. “How come you’re never tired? And how do you have time to dress up properly and stylize yourself every single morning? Freak…”

“Look at you, Maxine. You usually look like shit during these classes, but now you’re making an exception, it seems, by looking even shittier. That’s an accomplishment.” Victoria smirked. Her voice was even more cocky than normally. Max considered that to be a real accomplishment.

_“I’m too tired to fight you, Victoria. For once in your life, please be quiet.”_ Max wished, despite knowing that would never happen. Especially not after what happened yesterday. “Please, not now, Victoria.” Max responded as she lifted up her shoulder bag from scuffing the floor while making her way to her desk.

Max felt shivers down her spine as she knew Victoria wasn’t someone one she could simply reject like that. She was, in many ways, like a child at times. She would demand undivided attention at any given time. While a child would thrown a tantrum or start cry if they were ignored, Victoria’s weapons were far more deadlier.  
  
“You have some nerve, Maxine--”

_“It’s Max…”_  
  
“And here I thought we were friends, yet you left so quickly yesterday. You barely even greeted me before you headed off. Now I wonder what was up with that?” Victoria asked as she leaned from one hand to another.  
  
_“Why did you had to ask me that? I don’t know okay!”_ Max tried to focus on the teacher, yet the teacher’s peaceful and calm voice was way too monotone to keep her interest. She couldn’t ignore Victoria for long, so it was wise to face her sooner than later when her gang of goons was around her.  
  
“I was sick. I had a bad…” Max pondered for a moment. She had never been very good at lying. Chloe had always been the one to come up with convincing lies when they needed them as kids. “...stomach ache.”  
  
Max could tell by the look on Victoria’s face that she wasn’t believing Max’s story for one second. _“Oh right...there are bathrooms there…”_  
  
“...Right. Well let’s just say that you’re speaking the truth, despite us both knowing that you’re not,” Victoria said; her already sly smirk only growing in size. She was like a predator who was toying with her prey. Normally Max liked the playful confrontation the two seemed to always have going on, but not this time. Now she was tired, and confused. She couldn’t give Victoria a proper answer when she herself didn’t know what she was feeling exactly. “It still doesn’t explain why you were so flustered. I know it must be hard to see someone as gorgeous as me, when you look like that yourself, but to run away from me...that’s just too rich, even from someone like you, Maxine.” Victoria said as she softly tapped her cheek.  
  
“...It’s Max.” Max quickly replied. “Stop calling me Maxine, Victoria. It's Max. Even teachers here call me that. So should you.” Max knew that changing the subject like this wouldn’t buy her much time, but it was a matter that actually did bother her quite a lot. Everyone in Blackwell called her Max, be it students, both old and new, and teachers. Victoria just HAD to be that one exception to the rule.  
  
“Good try Maxine, but you’re doing an awful job dodging my ques--”  
  
“Victoria and Max, could you two keep it quiet? I'm not sure if you two have nothing to learn here, but I’m sure that other students do.” The teacher interrupted the two. Despite both of them being model students when it came to anything photography related, neither of them could just drop this now. The two started to stare at one another after the teacher had turned their focus away from them.  
  
“Shut up Tori. You’re gonna get us in trouble.” Max hissed under her breath. Max was no stranger to getting admonishments from teachers, but they were, in most cases, just about her being late. There were occasional cases of her getting reminded not to talk with other students, but never before had she been caught doing that with Victoria.

“You’re just trying to get your way out of this mess, Maxine. You should know that you’re doing a piss poor job at that. Just looking at you, I can tell…” Victoria’s eyes wandered from gazing into Max’s eyes all the way down until she saw something that shocked her to her very core. Max saw the look on Victoria’s face, but she couldn’t really understand just what she was feeling. It was like she was suddenly filled with anger, confusion and sheer laughter. Short giggle bursts escaped past Victoria’s lips as she pointed at Max’s feet. Upon glancing down  to see what was so funny, Max realized just how sleepy she was.  
  
_“Crocks and socks, really? Oh wow, good job Max…”_ Max shook her head. While Max rarely stylized herself, there were still some general fashion tips even she liked to follow. One of the unspoken laws was that one should never combine socks and crocks, yet Max was rocking it like it was nobody’s business.  
  
“Ahahahah!” Victoria chuckled as she couldn’t hold it in anymore. While part of Max was angry about it, there was something oddly adorable about seeing someone like Victoria drop her defense and her act like that. It was the second time she had seen Victoria outside of her element in a short time, yet it was a sight just as intoxicating as it had been the first time.  
  
“That’s it, I’ve had it you two!” The teacher yelled, cutting Victoria’s laugh short. “Max and Victoria, you two are free to leave this class. As a punishment, you will be working on a project together. If you fail to do it, you will not pass this course. Now leave.”  
  
Max and Victoria glanced at one another. Both of them wanted to protest and blame the other, yet the look on teacher’s face told them that they should simply swallow their pride and accept what happened. Max was the first one to leave the classroom, with Victoria soon following behind her.

The hallway was almost completely barren, with most students hanging in the cafeteria or being in their classes. _“Good thing there aren’t students here...Victoria would freak out if others knew she got kicked out of class…”_ Max pondered as she gazed at Victoria, who clearly wasn’t taking this as well as she was. Something like this did little to Max’s reputation, but to Victoria, her reputation meant everything. No one in Blackwell really knew Victoria as a person, but rather as the image she was portraying. The perfect student now had a spot she couldn’t clean, unless she’d work together with her rival.  
  
“I hate you so much, Maxine Caulfield.” Victoria stated coldly, her arms crossed under her chest. The cold stare in her eyes made the already tense atmosphere that much more dreadful.  
  
“Hey, you’re the one who couldn’t keep your mouth shut.” Max responded dryly. She was still feeling tired from yesterday. The fact that she had to work with Victoria to pass the course hadn’t really settled in for her just yet.  
  
“Hmph.” Victoria huffed.  
  
_“I knew you wouldn’t have a proper defense for that one.”_ Max smirked for a short moment before she turned to face the girl next to her. “I’m sorry, okay? It’s not like I want to damage your reputation or harm you, Victoria. I have nothing against you. I really don’t. It’s just…” Max stared at her feet for a moment, hoping that’d give her the answer she was looking for. Seeing her socks through the holes of her crocks sadly yielded no such results.  
  
“It’s just…?” Victoria repeated, while gesturing for Max to continue by waving her arm a bit.  
  
“...Complicated?” Max managed to say after hesitating for a short moment. _“Smooth Max, very smooth…”_  
  
“You’re not only a dork, but you’re also weird, Maxine. What is complicated exactly? Tell me.” Victoria asked as she raised one of her eyebrows slightly. Max could tell by the tone of Victoria’s voice that at least now she could be reasoned with. Clearly it paid off to tell her that she had nothing against her, even if, in Max’s mind, that was clear as day.  
  
_“I wish I could.”_ Max turned around, showing her back at Victoria. “Um...later. Take care.” Max practically whispered in response to Victoria’s question. Max didn’t have to turn around to see that Victoria was now even more confused than she had been before. _“I’m just digging myself into a bigger hole, aren’t I?”_  
  
*  
  
**Chloe:**  
‘Oh wow, are you serious? You and Vic working together? Look at you Mad Max, that was quick!’  
  
**Max:**  
‘Ugh, no, you don’t get it. We are forced to work together. And I think I just made the situation between us worse by mumbling about not hating her, and then saying that things are complicated. I just hate myself sometimes.（´＿｀）’  
  
**Chloe:**  
‘Hey, be honest with me, Max? You can tell me how you feel. I think that deep down you know it, and you’re just...afraid to admit it or something?’     
**Max:**  
‘Well...I think I do have the hots for her…(´∀｀)♡’


	3. Show me the real you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Victoria spend time together on their given task. What starts off as something mandatory slowly turns into something else.

As Max pretty much expected, it was Victoria who laid out the rules. To her, it didn’t matter what sort of schedule Max had, as surely someone like her barely had anything important going on in her life to begin with. While part of Max was understandably frustrated by Victoria’s view, the date she had picked for their project was actually one that fit Max’s schedule quite nicely. It did get in the way of her weekly brunch with Chloe, but that could wait one more day, especially since the two would have a lot more to talk about afterwards.  
  
If Max would have been asked which one of them, her or Victoria, would be the one on time, even she would have always answered Victoria. To her surprise however, she was the one standing in the hallway, waiting for Victoria to make her entrance.  
  
_“I suppose I can’t really be that surprised. Victoria would probably want herself wrapped up in gold when she dies too. She’d make even Grim Reaper wait for her to put on makeup, I bet.”_ Max smirked at her own witty thoughts.  
  
There was an odd sense of calm all around Blackwell during weekends. It almost felt like time stopped, in a sense. There was no yelling, and no stress. It was a time when one could simply sit back and enjoy their surroundings. Max had learned to value little things like that in life. With all the rush in the world, it was always good to have a little peace and quiet too, no matter how fleeting it was.  
  
The more Max waited, the more she thought if she should say something. Knocking on Victoria’s door, though, was, in many ways, like poking a hornet’s nest; unwise in more ways than one.  
  
_“At least she’s working on something there. I can hear her footsteps.”_ Max pondered as she listened to the sounds coming from Victoria’s dorm. Eavesdropping wasn’t something Max was usually all that good at, but the thin doors made it quite easy for even someone as inexperienced as her.  
  
_“Hmm...those are some odd sounds coming from there...sounds like another language. Wait, I know that. That’s...that’s Japanese. Why would Victoria…?”_ Max hesitated for a short moment before she pressed her ear against the door again right after making sure that there was no one else in the hallway. The last thing Max wanted now was for Victoria to get full-on hostile. It already seemed like she was on a warpath most of the time, even when there was no reason for it at all.  
  
“Is that...an anime? Is Victoria into anime?” Max started to think if there was some sort of logical connection between the two. She had never seen Victoria doing anything, or wearing anything clothing that indicated an interest in anime. Yet Max was positive about what she was hearing, as she too had had that phase in her life.  
  
_“So this is why it’s taking her so long to come out. I guess I should just keep my mouth shut about this. Victoria would flay me for sure if she knew that I knew. It sucks, though, that she always puts her reputation before anything else. I bet she’d love to talk about it with some of the other students. Knowing Victoria, she must know everything there is about it too. When she gets into something, it’s all or nothing.”_ Max thought as she decided to finally sit down.  
  
_“We have all day to do this task. I should try to be as nice to her as possible. I mean sure, we both are to blame for this, kinda. I don’t even know anymore, but I mean this might be a blessing in disguise. Maybe I’ll finally get to see the real Victoria, not that act she puts on to impress others.”_ Max pulled out her phone to read the assignment once more.  
  
“You need to go and take a photo of a cliff. I need a photo that proves that you two were there, so take a photo of with both of you in it, as well as single photos of you and the area. Return them to me within two weeks time if you want to pass this course.” Max read the message out loud. The task wasn’t really that hard, but it did require a little bit of travelling. Blackwell Academy was a gorgeous place, surrounded by a lot of nature, yet the teacher clearly wanted them to put some time into this task and not simply get it done by spending few minutes outside of school.  
  
“Well, I assume Victoria knows a good locati--” Max’s train of thought was cut short when the nearby door slowly opened up. Max had expected Victoria to dress up accordingly, yet Victoria, being true to herself, wanted to drop every jaw possible, even if only one person was accompanying her.  
  
Max felt a gulp stuck on her throat when she gazed at Victoria. Her blonde hair was short and stylized as always, yet now Max could smell a fresh scent of shampoo as well. Around her neck, Victoria had a pearl necklace; one that clearly cost more than a monthly salary of most teachers at Blackwell. As for her choice of shirt, Victoria had a velvet shirt with red stripes all around it. Of course no attire would be complete with just that. Keeping true to her typical style, she also had a skirt that did her legs justice. Even with her skin hidden underneath thin, and mostly transparent stockings, Victoria let anyone who glanced at her know that she was gorgeous, and that she knew it. To put icing on the cake, Victoria had wristbands as well on both of her arms. True to her style, they were both made out of gold, with small diamonds encrusted in them.  
  
“How long have you been waiting here?” Victoria asked, after staring at Max for a moment. The frown on Victoria’s face soon turned into a sly smirk as she realized just how much better she looked in comparison to Max. While Victoria had dressed up as if she was heading out, Max had only put on a typical set of clothes; gray hoodie, pink shirt and blue jeans. Little did Victoria know, that Max wasn’t speechless because she had lost a game of which one of them has more expensive clothes, but for other reasons entirely.  
  
_“Why are you dressed up like that? It’s just you and me here.”_ Max pondered as she gazed at Victoria. Normally, silence between the two was awkward, but in that moment Max didn’t even realize it. She was gazing at the taller girl, eyeing her from top to bottom. _“Why are you...what am I complaining about here? I should be saying...wow.”_ Max shook her head a few times when she realized that she was practically ogling over Victoria. If she was to do that, she’d need to be a lot more subtle about it.   
  
“Are you just going to stare at me or are you going to give me an answer, Maxine?” Victoria huffed as she crossed her arms under her chest.  
  
“S-sorry, what was it that you asked me again? I was kinda spacing out there. I guess I’m still a bit sleepy, that’s all.” Max responded with a nervous chuckle. _“Very smooth save there. As if she’s going to believe that. Victoria is like a hound that can smell yours insecurities and lies.”  
  
_ “I asked...ugh, just nevermind. Forget it. We should just get going and get this over with.” Victoria said while gesturing for Max to stand up. After, Max stood, and followed beside her. Victoria continued: “So, I assume you’ve read the assignment too, right? So we’re to go to a cliff. One that’s outside of Blackwell.”  
  
Max quickly nodded back to Victoria before mumbling the word ‘yes’ to go with it. She wanted to seem focused, but just being next to her, this close without her trying to push her away or taunt her was already a blessing in disguise. _“Just...take it cool, Max. Just take it cool...you’ve got this. Take a deep breath and focus. It’s just Victoria, you’ve been sitting next to her for over a year now. She’s just like any other girl…”_  
  
“Maxine! Ugh, you’re spacing out again on me?” Victoria practically grunted this time.  
  
“S-sorry. I...yes, that was what she asked us to do. Do you know any good locations Victoria? You seem to know pretty much everything about anything.” Max said with a smile on her freckled face. _“Well, you’re off to a good start Max…”  
  
_ As Max expected, complementing Victoria was the quickest way to her heart. The pouty look on her face quickly faded away, as if it had never even existed.  
  
“Well, I did do some research yesterday, as I was afraid you wouldn’t,” Victoria smirked. “And I found a few locations. There’s one that’s just one bus ride away from here. I think we should go there.”  
  
Max was visibly stunned for a moment. “Wait, did you just say bus? I’d expect you to ride a limousine or at least a fancy car or something. Is your butler sick?” Max joked, even if half heartedly. She had always expected Victoria to maintain her practically perfect image at all times. Maybe she could be seen sitting in a public transport with such clothing on her.  
  
“Oh Maxine, you think too highly of me,” Victoria tried to hide her amusement, yet past her lips escaped a faint sounding and short lived giggle. Upon hearing it, Max almost felt her heart skip a beat. “It’s not like anyone is going to see me like this except you. And I assume you will keep your mouth shut about this? No one is to know that you and me worked together, understood?” Victoria leaned in a bit closer to Max.  
  
Even when she was clearly happy the previous moment, somehow Victoria managed to instantly turn back into her typical ice queen persona.  
  
“Understood. You really don’t have to worry about it so much, you know? Like I said, I’m not your enemy, Victoria. I want to be your friend.” Max confessed. It wasn’t the confession she actually wanted to voice, but it was a small step she needed to take first before that. “I know I’m not like most of your friends. I don’t have expensive clothes nor do I like partying all that much. I buy most of my stuff used, and I lack the level of confidence you seem to require from people around you. But I want to be your friend Victoria, I really do. I don’t want to be your stupid rival. You’re great at photography and last thing I want is for you to feel like you always have to beat me. Can’t we just...I don’t know, get along for once?” Max realized right afterwards just what had come out of her mouth. There was a storm of emotions inside of her, yet Max had only opened up the cork bottling them in just a tiny bit.  
  
“Maxine…” Victoria shook her head.  
  
“Max. Call me Max, okay? We had this conversation already. If you want to be nice to me, at least start by calling me Max. If it’s so hard for you to pretend in public that you don’t actually hate me, then fine, but at least call me by my name. Is that too much to ask, huh?”  
  
Victoria had to admit it. Max certainly had spirit. She didn’t know what was causing her to act like this, yet the sight of how serious Max was was quite alluring in its own rights.  
  
“Okay, okay, fine. I’ll do my best to call you that…” Victoria waited for a moment, knowing that by hesitating to finish her sentence, she could keep Max teased a bit longer. “...Max. And back to that previous topic of yours,” Victoria mused as she opened up the door so they could step out of their shared dorm. “I don’t hate you either. It’s just that…” Victoria paused for a moment as she didn’t know how to continue.  
  
It was a rare sight, to see someone like Victoria hesitating. Normally she was verbally as quick as she was witty, yet outside of her usual element it seemed to be another case entirely.  
  
“It’s that public image of yours, right? You can’t be seen being all buddy buddy with someone like me?” Max asked, tilting her head a bit to the side while doing so.  
  
Victoria simply nodded back at Max. Even if she hadn’t gotten the response she had been hoping for, this was still an unofficial peace treaty between the two. It was a good ground to build from, if nothing else.  
  
_“Victoria...if only you could let more people see the actual you.”_ Max pondered.  
  
The day was nice and bright. The sun was shining and the birds were eagerly calling for each other. The two were walking towards the bus stop, with Max a step or two behind Victoria.  
  
_“Well, you killed the mood with your confession, but at least the weather is nice.”_ Max smiled slightly when she felt a ray of sunshine on her face. When she turned to look at Victoria, her smile turned into something else. That woman was practically grasping a hold of the sunlight and making it worship her. Victoria’s face was shining like a radiant diamond, her skin was even more flawless in the ray of light. This was one trip Max was already going to savor, despite the fact that it had barely even started.  
  
The awkward silence between the two didn’t last very long, as the bus came right after they had arrived at the bus stop. Stepping in, Max paid for her ticket right after Victoria. Now, it was about finding a spot.  
  
_“Oh look, it’s quite empty in here. I wonder if it’s okay for me to sit next to her? We’re sorta supposed to bond here after all. Why else would the teacher send us here? Maybe it’s a punishment or something? But on surface, it should be about us getting along, I think.”_ Max pondered. She didn’t get to suggest a seat however, as Victoria had already decided for them. A spot near the exit, and also away from direct sunlight. Clever choice, as expected of Victoria.  
  
“It’s nice that there aren’t that many people here. Not sure if you’ve ever been on a tightly cramped bus, but I can tell you, it’s really not as fun as they make it out to be in movies.” Max said after sitting down next to Victoria. Judging by the look on her face, Victoria had expected to sit alone, but Max was determined to get her to change her behavior, no matter how long it’d take her.  
  
There had been more than a fair share of moments between Max and Victoria over the years, yet none of them had been this quiet. Normally, they were fighting; mostly thanks to Victoria; but even that was, on some level, better than this. The longer it extended, the more awkward and unbearable it was getting. Max knew she had to do something about it, quickly.  
  
“So...what anime were you watching?” Max forced her lips to curl up into a smile. _“You’re really that desperate? You just had to go there. Good job…”  
  
_ “...What?” Victoria turned her head so slowly that, for a moment, Max was positive that she was sitting next to a robot. The calm, yet brewing rage building up within Victoria told Max more than enough. She had been playing with fire before, but now she had thrown gasoline into the mix.  
  
“Well I was just...um…” Max stumbled over her own words while nervously fidgeting her fingers. “I might have heard something when I was standing outside of your room.” Max pretty much whimpered in response. _“It sure would be handy to have some sort of time travelling powers now…”_  
  
Victoria leaned in closer to Max, so close that Max could feel her breath up against her face. The sight of Victoria being this angry was definitely scary, yet in some twisted way it was also more arousing than Max wanted to admit.  
  
“So now there are two things you’re going to keep your mouth shut about. This trip never happened, and you don’t know about my private hobbies.” Victoria stated bluntly.  
  
“Okay, but why are you hiding it, Victoria? I mean, it’s really nothing to be ashamed of, if you ask me. Everyone has something that they’re passionate about after all. So why are you hiding it?”  
  
“I think you know very well that it is quite rare for anyone here in Blackwell to associate the word ‘anime’ with the word ‘cool’,” Victoria illustrated with air quotes.  “Do you really think that I’d let something like that be my downfall? Clearly you don’t know me well enough, Maxine.”  
  
“Max.” Max was quick to correct.  
  
“Sorry, Max.”  
  
“But why are you letting something like that define you, Victoria? I’d imagine that you, if anyone, would be brave enough to be who they really are. You have more confidence than anyone else I’ve ever met, yet you’re afraid of letting people see the actual Victoria?” Max asked. She was genuinely curious to hear Victoria’s answer. It just seemed so odd that someone like Victoria was letting other people define her. Who knew just how much of her true self she had to hide in order to keep that perfect image of her alive to the public?  
  
“Hey, I didn’t make up these rules. There are just...some things that you’re not supposed to talk about in public.” Victoria said in her defense. Clearly Max had hit a weak spot, as Victoria was now even grumpier than normal; something Max thought to be impossible.  
  
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry Tori. It just seems a bit funny to me, to see someone like you being held back by what other people think about you. It’s usually you who makes up the rules, and defines what’s cool. Do you remember when no one thought scarves would be a thing, but you came rocking that one with the...um…” Max tapped her chin for a moment as she tried to gather little bits from her memories. “Red...black and white striped scarf? You said it was limited edition even, right?”  
  
Max’s question was enough to turn Victoria’s frown upside down. Clearly someone had paid attention to her, as Max could remember little details like that. It surprised Max too, to remember something so small and seemingly insignificant. Perhaps she had paid more attention to Victoria before than she had initially realized?  
  
“Clearly someone has paid attention to what’s what. It is true though. I did single handedly bring it back into fashion. I think I saw even you wearing one last winter, if I’m not mistaken? It must have been effective, as you rarely change your style, no matter what season it is.” Victoria said with an amused sneer.  
  
“Hey, I do totally change my style sometimes. Like during summer, I sometimes take off my hoodie.” Max joked.  
  
Max hit another weak spot in rapid succession, as she got a second laugh out of Victoria in one day. For once, Victoria wasn’t trying to hide it at all. She wasn’t frowning, she didn’t have a hand in front of her mouth to silence it. She was letting Max see a sight that was just as rare as Bigfoot. Just seeing her like this was a sight Max wanted to see more of. Her smile was contagious, and her laugh was something Max wanted to record and listen to over and over again.  
  
“You’re quite funny, Max. It’s a shame we can’t really hang out, but just between you and me, I think you’re a good person. Even if you’re a bit dorky.” Victoria sighed as she turned to face Max.  
  
While Max wanted to ask why they couldn’t be friends, she knew that it was best to save more serious topics for another time. She had walked on enough thin ice for one day already, and now it was time to make the day memorable in a good, rather than a negative way.  
  
“Just a bit? I think with all the nicknames I have, I’m the dork queen of Blackwell. Doesn’t have same ring as your title does, but hey, I take what I can get.”  
  
“If nothing else, that title is very much deserved. No competition there between us. You’re the undisputed king of dorks, Max.” Victoria shuffled closer and gave Max a few comforting pats on her back. It wasn’t exactly what Max had hoped for, but it was definitely better than nothing.  
  
Max didn’t have to try to think of another topic, as the bus had arrived at their destination. Victoria gestured Max to stand up, and soon the duo of one tall girl and one relatively shorter was back out in the open.  
  
“So...where to now, Vic?” Max asked as she fixed the position of her shoulder bag.  
  
“Just follow me. There’s this one cliff nearby that should be perfect for something like this. Few years back, kids used to go there and drink, but after someone fell down...well, they stopped going there. Bad spot when you’re drunk, but as for photos, it should be perfect. ” Victoria explained while glancing at Max over her shoulder.  
  
If Max hadn’t just sat in a bus for so long, she could have sworn she was suffering from sunstroke. The way Victoria looked at her made Max’s mouth dry. No words came out of her mouth, at first, even when she only had very few things to say. In the ray of the sun, Victoria looked like she was out of this world. That style, that confidence and that hint of a smile... it was more than enough to make Max’s knees feel weak.  
  
“S-sounds good, Victoria.” Max managed to smile back at her without stuttering. _“How does she pull that off? I’m practically sweating, but it’s like Victoria makes the the universe play by her rules and not the other way around…”_ Max pondered as she gazed at Victoria’s back.  
  
Despite part of her brain telling her not to do it, Max couldn’t resist the chance to look at Victoria’s behind, as it was practically in a spotlight right in front of her. Swaying from side to side in a ladylike manner, Victoria’ short skirt did her all the justice in the world. Even when Max tried to focus her attention on something else, she could only see those long legs now, taunting her. _“Focus Max...you’re trying to befriend her here, not bed her…”_ Max scolded herself by hitting her forehead a few times.  
  
True to Victoria’s words, the cliff wasn’t very far off from their bus stop. Just like she had said, the area was pretty much barren, with the exception of a few warning signs that warned people not to go near the edge. Victoria’s story was convincing, as there were still empty beer cans and and other sort of litter still lying around the area as well.  
  
“So, the teacher wanted us to take some photos here. What sort of pictures were they again? I think that she wanted us to show like… proof that we were here. As if I’d go through the trouble of photoshopping some like this.” Victoria gave a laugh.  
  
“Yeah, that was one of the requirement. We need to show proof that we were here. So perhaps we should take like a bunch of photos to prove that? Also, like a group one, so she knows that we were here together.” Max explained. While the group photo was something the teacher had insisted on, it was something Max herself wanted even more. Even if this was the highlight of their relationship, she wanted concrete proof of it. She had seen Victoria smile; she had seen a side of her that not many in Blackwell could claim. That in of itself was something she’d treasure for the rest of her life, and the photo would be a perfect memento of it.  
  
“How about we start by taking some general photos of the area, and then move on to take photos of each other, and at the end that group one?” Victoria proposed.  
  
“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.” Max smiled back at Victoria.  
  
It was a weird contrast between the two, to see just how different their styles were, but how seriously both of them still took photography. Their style, be it clothing or just living was drastically different from one another, but the same was also true for their choice of cameras. Max’s preferred camera was a Polaroid, instant camera. Victoria on the other hand, had a camera that Max knew by just glancing at it to be one that was priced with at least four digits. Maybe even more. Despite her young age, Victoria was a real professional when it came to her gear, although even Max couldn’t dismiss the fact that she had a good eye for pursuing the same path as she was.  
  
“Have you ever considered ditching that old thing and getting with the modern times?” Victoria asked while adjusting her camera. She had her eyes on a bird who was building a nest underneath the cliff. With most people staying away from the area, it was now a much better breeding ground for animals as well. Much like humans, even birds seemed to prefer peace and quiet.  
  
“Not really. This is my style after all,” Max answered. She was focusing on catching a nice glimpse of both the hill and the forest right underneath it. It was a colorful contrast of gray and green, with a hint of bright yellow sunlight thrown into the mix. Nature photos weren’t really Max’s strength, yet she felt a sense of pride upon taking her shot. “It’s much easier for me to stand out like this. Modern cameras are a lot better in so many ways, but I get my results in an instant.” Max grabbed the picture that came out and shook it. _“Heh, I still got it.”  
  
_ “I suppose you’re right. You do stand out, Max. Not sure if always in a good way, though.” Victoria teased. For once though, there wasn’t a sense of spite in her voice at all. Max could only smirk back at Victoria. If this is what their relationship would be after all of this was said and done, Max would consider herself to be a winner.  
  
“How about we take those individual photos now? I suppose we could start with you, Victoria. I mean, if you don’t mind?” Max suggested.  
  
“Fine, but take the photos with your camera. I don’t want your hands on mine. It costs more than most tuition fees here.”  
  
_“I can’t say that I’m surprised…”_ Max shook her head while Victoria was making her way towards the edge of the cliff. Stopping before she could actually be in any danger of falling off, Victoria turned around to face Max. It was like a photoshoot, except the fact that the photographer was the nervous one, and not the model.  
  
“The teacher didn’t really give us any further instructions,” Max said behind her camera, adjusting it to get a proper angle. “So I suppose it’s just up to us to decide what sort of photos we want to take.”  
  
“Well then, do you have any ideas, Max? Think of me as a model, and you’re the one who needs to make the world know about me.” Victoria mused.  
  
Max felt her cheeks brightening up ever so slightly when she heard Victoria’s idea. _“As if I need to do that, you’re already doing that on your own, Victoria…”_ Max coughed a few times before opening her mouth: “Um...okay. So...how about...well…” Max felt her fingers shake a bit and her throat drying up. There she was, Victoria Chase, waiting for her instructions. Max knew that she couldn’t take too long, or the famously impatient girl would probably let her hear about it. “How about...some famous positions? Like...you know that pin up girl one?”  
  
Victoria’s lips curled up into a smirk. If this was Max’s way to compliment Victoria on her looks, she was clearly doing something right.  
  
“You mean the one with one leg straight and one up in the air, back showing a bit and looking at the viewer from over the shoulder?” Victoria asked.  
  
_“Oh, you know your stuff Victoria.”_ Max nodded back at her. “Y-yeah, that’s the one. It just sorta came to me for some reason...it’s not too much to ask right?” Max asked. She didn’t realize, but her tone was practically begging Victoria to say no. While she did want to pass the course, Max’s desire to own a photo like that was much higher. To her fortune, Victoria didn’t seem to protest such idea, as she was quick to get into the asked position.  
  
“Just don’t take too long Max. It’s a bit hard to stand on one leg with these heels on rocky ground.” Victoria said before resuming with her smile to make it truly look like the pin up cover of the 21st century.  
  
Max didn’t know which sight was the one that left the deepest impact on her. Seeing Victoria in a sexy pose like that was definitely something she would have paid money for, yet for once she wasn’t captured by her lower half, but rather the upper one. There was something exceptionally beautiful in what wasn’t really hidden, yet that was still unseen. Victoria’s lips. She had seen them many times, yet never before in a genuine smile like they were forming now. It was a sight that left Max speechless. Luckily, she had enough willpower to at least take the needed photos.  
  
Click...click...and a third click. Three photos of Victoria, all taken from slightly different angle.  
  
“So, did they turn out to be good?” Victoria asked as she relaxed.  
  
“As if I could take bad pictures of you even if I tried. You have a bad case of being ridiculously photogenic, I’m afraid.” Max joked, even if her words had a seed of honesty within them. It was like a weird sixth sense, but somehow Victoria was always prepared to be in the spotlight. _“Guess all that time making sure you look good does pay off.”_  
  
“Yes, it’s my curse after all, yet someone has to bare it.” Victoria gave Max a playful wink to go with it, as she walked next to her to admire the recently taken photos. Even if Max’s camera was one Victoria only wanted to see in museums, she couldn’t dismiss the results. The quality wasn’t nearly as good as she was used to, yet all the pictures captured the essence of what was important. “Now it’s your turn though, so get up there Max and show me what you’ve got.”  
  
“You got it.”  
  
*  
  
The photography session had taken the two longer than either of them had expected it to. What had started off as just a few photos had somehow extended longer and longer, with the two talking, taking photos, and eating together. A perk of spending time with someone as rich as Victoria was that even hunger wasn’t an issue, as pizza could be delivered anywhere; even in a slightly unusual locations such as their current one.  
  
“...So that’s why Chloe isn’t allowed to ride a unicycle.”  
  
“That is rich, Max. Shame she got kicked out of Blackwell. She sounds like a blast to hang out with, even if she’s a bit troublesome from what I’ve heard.”  
  
“Well, I suppose that makes two of you.” Max teased, going even so far as to gently nudge Victoria with her elbow. To Max’s surprise, Victoria didn’t seem to be against it, as she quickly retaliated by doing the same back to her.  
  
“Heh, I suppose you’re right. Oh shoot, we forgot one thing.” Victoria gasped as she was browsing the pictures they had taken.  
  
“Hmm, what is it?” Max asked with her mouth still occupied by the last slice of pizza.  
  
“That group photo. I think this would be enough for the teacher, but I suppose we could make sure, just in case.”  
  
Max couldn’t agree more even if she tried to. Wiping her mouth clean from the grease, Max stood up before extending her hand to help Victoria get back on her feet as well.  
  
“My camera or yours?” Victoria asked.  
  
“Um...let’s use mine. Just for novelty’s sake. I’ve always wanted to take a group selfie after all.”  
  
“Oh, is two a group now?”  
  
“Well...you get what I mean.”

“I do, I’m just toying with you.”  
  
Despite them spending plenty of hours taking photos, the one Max knew was going to be the last one of the day made her feel nervous. Her hands were shaking as she pressed her back right up against Victoria’s chest, aligning herself for a proper selfie. The height difference made it a bit hard for her to get a proper shot, no matter how high she reached out her arm.  
  
Just as Max was ready to give up and have the photo taken with Victoria’s high tech camera, she felt another pair of fingers interlocking with her own. The instant camera jumped from one pair of hand to another, as Victoria now held the camera instead. With her higher reach, she could do them both justice.  
  
Click...click...click. Three pictures, just like during Victoria’s photoshoot.  
  
“I had a fun day out with you Max.” Victoria turned to face Max, holding out the camera for her to take it back.  
  
“It really was. I wish that we could do this again sometime. You know...as friends.” Max stated rather bluntly. _“Or...more than friends…”  
  
_ “I know, but...like you said, it’s...complicated.” Victoria sighed, turning away from Max as she couldn’t look at her.  
  
_“So this is what it sounds like coming from someone else…”_ Max tried to reach out for Victoria, but pulled her hand back before she could reach out to touch her. “I...I understand. But...we can still stop hating each other in public, right? I mean sure, let’s keep our playful rivalry going, so other people won’t think differently of you, but...friends?” Max asked.  
  
Victoria turned around to face her. At first, the taller girl didn’t say anything. Max’s first impulse told her that she had done something wrong, but instead of that, she got a hug from her. It didn’t last for very long, but the few seconds of their warm embrace was were like an eternity.  
  
“Friends. How about we get a cab now, and head back? It’s starting to get cold out here.”  
  
_“Maybe for you...but I’ve never been this warm...”_ Max nodded back at Victoria. “Sure.”  
  
*

**Chloe:**  
‘Hey, look at you two being all friendly and the like. Sounds like you both had quite a blast, eh?’  
  
**Max:**

‘Oh yeah, we had hella fun, even though I was positive that I fucked up. I made things really awkward at one point, but then things sorta smoothened out (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑ ’  
  
**Chloe:**  
‘That’s great. So, where are you two at exactly, then?’  
  
**Max:**  
‘I wish I knew. She said that it’s complicated. I mean, she has her reputation and all, but she really did enjoy herself. Probably the first time in a long while. She has to hide so much to be so perfect, but...I got a glimpse of the real thing. The actual Victoria Chase (＾▽＾)’  
  
**Chloe:**  
‘Sounds to me like it’s pretty serious. But...if you really do like her, then I assume you’re not going to just stop there, right? I mean hell, you’re Max Caulfield. You could make saggy pants look fashionable by just wearing them on a daily basis. You can do it Max, I know you can.’  
  
**Max:**  
‘Thanks, because that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. I will not stop until she knows how I truly feel about her. I love her, Chloe. (灬♥ω♥灬) ’  
  
**Chloe:**  
‘Duh, that’s so obvious at this point. During brunch tomorrow, you’re gonna tell me all about it, and show me rest of those pictures. Every single detail, got it?’  
  
**Max:**  
‘Deal (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و ’  
  
After putting her phone down, Max rolled around in her bed. Upon gazing at the last picture they had taken, she felt herself to be at ease. It was all the proof she needed. They could be happy together.


	4. Leap of faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max goes to have her weekly brunch with Chloe, who in turn, is more than happy to fill Max with some much needed confidence when it comes to confessing to Victoria about how she truly feels.

To anyone who had lived in Arcadia Bay long enough, there were a few things that were practically rooted as part of that name. Fishing was one them. Even with the Prescott family doing its best to root it out. Even more than that, there was one diner that was loved by practically everyone; the Two Whales.  
  
The diner didn’t serve the best food out there, but no one could dispute the fact that it had an atmosphere that was simply unmatched. While the usual sight of truck drivers and police were quite common in just about any diner, there was truly something unique about Two Whales. A big part of that atmosphere was thanks to Chloe’s mother, Joyce. Always with a smile on her face and a warm cup of coffee to serve, she made sure that anyone with some pocket money wouldn’t leave hungry.  
  
Most of the time, Chloe was the one that arrived latest of the two, but this time, that honor went to Max. Sitting around their usual table near the corner, Chloe was all smiles when she saw her friend arriving.  
  
“Hey, look at you Max, you finally made it,” Chloe announced cheerfully. “For a moment I thought you weren’t  coming.”  
  
Max quickly dismissed such thoughts with a wave of her hand. Their brunch was practically a sacred ritual now. Unless one of them was in the hospital, or sick, it would always happen, no matter what. This time though, they had to set the date back by a day, but on a flip side, it did give them a whole new topic to talk about; Max’s lovelife.  
  
“As if. I might have Victoria on my mind like, all the time, but it’s not like I could just forget you, either. Besides, if I skipped this, you’d probably sneak into my dorm to get some answers.” Max smiled back at Chloe as she sat down.  
  
“Oh, hell yes. You’ve left me all thirsty with your vague messages, girl, so of course I’m wanting some answers. But judging by that look on your face, I think the situation with the queen bitch has moved forward, right?” Chloe snooped.  
  
Max couldn’t really deny it. After all, she talked about nearly everything with Chloe. If there was someone she could talk about everything and anything with, it was Chloe Price.  
“It’s that obvious, huh?” Max swiped her hair a bit as she felt her cheeks warming up ever so slightly. Just thinking about Victoria was now enough to make her feel embarrassed, even when she was with familiar company.  
  
“Hey, I could tell that you have someone in your thoughts just by looking at you. I still don’t get what you see in her, but of course, I’ll always support you, Max. That’s what friends are for.” Chloe reassured Max by giving her a playful wink to go with her encouraging words.  
  
 _“Heh, that’s typical Chloe for you.”_  
  
Max couldn’t help herself not to feel that same warmth from her cheeks spread all around her body. Chloe was certainly a handful at times, but she truly had a heart of gold; be it in her own sort of way. Supportive and loyal, she was the best friend one could ever ask for.  
  
“Hey, do you want to see more of those pictures I took yesterday? I caught some really good ones.” Max gestured for Chloe to sit down next to her, rather than on the opposite end of the table. Chloe practically hopped to the other side in an instant, pressing herself right up against her.  
  
“Did you get a picture of her ass? I bet you wanted to take one.” Chloe teased.  
  
Chloe didn’t get her answer in verbal form, but she got what she needed just by looking at Max. For someone like her, it wasn’t very hard to get Max flustered.  
  
“Hey, I’m just being an ass, don’t worry. But in all seriousness, do show me those pictures.” Chloe gave Max a few encouraging bumps with her elbow.  
  
“...I did kinda get a close look of it,” Max coughed.  “I mean, she had a skirt on, but it was like a short one, and it was kinda right in front of my face too, at one point.” Max pretty much whispered the last part.  
  
Chloe let out a quiet ‘ooh’ upon hearing just how daring Max had been. To her, Max had always been shy, but seeing someone like her come out of her shell like this was an oddly proud moment; like a mother bird seeing their children take flight for the first time.  
  
“Atta girl. Now hurry up and show me.” Chloe gestured for Max to dig up the photos. Now she truly wanted to see those photos Max had been talking about.  
  
Max opened up her shoulder bag, and from there, she pulled out a bunch of photos. The first photo she had to show was yesterday’s nature shot.  
  
“What’s that?” Chloe asked as she tilted her head.  
  
“Oh, it’s just part of the assignment. We had to take some photos of that area. But I’m sure you’re not very interested in these.” Max said, as she shuffled the image to the back end. The picture underneath it was a glamorous shot of Victoria posing for Max, doing her best to imitate the famous pin up shot Max had suggested.  
  
“Oh wow. You sure this is the same Victoria you keep talking about non stop?” Chloe asked as she leaned in to take a closer look of the photo. “I mean, you tell me that she’s an uptight sorta person, but she seems to be pretty happy here, if you ask me.”  
  
Max couldn’t really disagree with her friend. She hadn’t given her own photos a really deep look, but now that Chloe brought it up, she noticed it as well. The smile Victoria had was definitely a genuine one. It was quite subtle, which was only fitting for someone like her. It was so subtle that one could easily miss it; but if the person looking was sharp enough, they would get a glimpse of something truly rare.  
  
“I suppose you’re right. I mean she’s not normally like that at all, but…” Max tried to think of a way to continue, yet she couldn’t. Fortunately, she was given more time to think about her answer, as Joyce got around to their table.  
  
“Nice to see you again here, Max. I hope Chloe isn’t causing you any trouble?” Joyce asked, knowing fully well that nothing could get in between the two of them.  
  
“Heh, of course not. We had to postpone this because I was given this assignment from school.” Max explained. With her hands on top of her photo pile, Max hoped she wouldn’t get asked by another Price about her pictures. To her, one curious Price was more than enough.  
  
“Why don’t you bring us a little something-something? I’m thinking of waffles.” Chloe chimed in. Just by looking at Max, she realized that the topic the two were talking about was most definitely supposed to stay just between them.  
  
“Aren’t you always? You should eat more healthy or you’ll never grow up.” Joyce shook her head slightly, but soon dismissed such thoughts as she ruffled up Chloe’s hair, or what little of it there was hidden underneath her knit cap.  
  
“Hey, I have plenty of time to grow still. But for now, it’s waffle time.” Chloe grinned.  
  
“How about you Max, what would you like to have?” Joyce turned her focus back onto Max.  
  
“Yeah, waffles sound good to me. I’ve been dying to have them.” Max smiled back at Joyce. It had only been a few weeks since her last waffles at Two Whales, yet Max had cravings for Joyce’s waffles, much like half of the population in Arcadia Bay did.  
  
“Well you two must be quite hungry then. I’ll be bringing you some in a few. Maybe I’ll add in some extra, too.” Joyce said before taking her leave back behind the counter.  
  
“So...you were saying?” Chloe quickly returned to the previous topic at hand.  
  
“I was saying that she’s not really normally like this, at all. She’s...distant, mean, she thinks that she’s better than everyone else. But then, for the first time, I got to see another side of her. I mean sure, she was still being her usual self to some degree, but she hung out with me like I was one of her rich friends, or something. She wasn’t just doing it to make me happy. I think, no, I know that she liked it too.” Max flipped through the photos until she got to the one picture she was looking for to prove her point.  
  
“Max…” Chloe let out a sigh. One of her hands reached out to Max’s shoulder, pressing her right up against her chest. “You truly did fall for that girl, huh? Hell, I haven’t seen you like this like...ever. I mean hell, just look at you.” Chloe pointed at both of the photos Max was holding. “You are happy as all hell here. I don’t want to see you like this, doubting yourself, so listen to me, okay?” Chloe turned herself and Max, so now they were properly facing each other. With both hands on Max’s shoulders, Chloe continue:  
  
“You often doubt yourself, but you really shouldn’t. You’re funny and quirky and just a blast to hang out with. You deserve to be happy and...shit, just look at it yourself!” Chloe grabbed the photo from Max’s hand and shoved it right in front of her face.  
  
Max had stared at the photo for longer than she wanted to admit last night, but Chloe was absolutely right. Just like Victoria, Max saw just how happy she herself was as well.  
  
“Yeah, you’re right. I should just be honest about how I feel. I just...I don’t know, fear rejection? I mean, I’m nothing like her.” Max said in protest.  
  
“Ugh, stop it right there, okay? Stop doubting yourself all the goddamn time, Max. You have fucking concrete evidence here that you can make that stone faced bitch smile, what more do you need, huh?” Chloe grunted in frustration. She had always been the more emotional of the two. If anyone dared to hurt Max, she was there to make them think twice, even if that person happened to be Max herself. A lot of people were allowed to feel down or doubt themselves, but as long as Chloe was alive and kicking, Max wasn’t one of them.  
  
“I…” Max hesitated for a moment. “You’re right, Chloe. I should...I should tell her how I feel. I might not be the best candidate for someone like her, but--” Max was quickly silenced as Chloe moved one of her hands to muffle her mouth.  
  
“Shut it, Max. You say you’re not the best one out there for her? Fuck that. You are the best damn thing in Arcadia Bay and you’ll make that rich bitch swoon over you. Got that?” Chloe leaned in closer to Max, her forehead quickly touching Max’s. She wasn’t letting her back away now. Back and forth texting allowed Max to dismiss the hard topics, but face to face she couldn’t do that.  
  
“Yeah, I got that.” Max laughed back at Chloe. To her surprise though, Chloe got more than just a few chuckles out of her friend. Max herself didn’t seem to realize it, but her eyes were quickly watering up. A few teardrops came dripping down, falling onto the padding underneath them.  
  
“S-sorry Max, I didn’t mean to…” Chloe was quick to reach out for a napkin. After wiping her eyes clean, Max turned to face Chloe once more.  
  
“N-no, it’s not...it’s not that, Chloe.” Max blew her nose, before continuing: “I’m just so happy to hear you say that. I was just...positive that I’m not good enough for her, so I...I was already about to give up. Thanks Chloe, thank you so much.” Max blew her nose one more time. Max didn’t even have to ask for another napkin, as Chloe had already handed one to her.  
  
“Hey, that’s what I’m here for. If you’re feeling down, then obviously I’m doing something wrong. You’re always my partner, Max, no matter what.” Chloe reassured by giving Max a few pats on her back.  
  
“So...should I just text her how I feel or…?”  
  
“Text? Nope. You’d probably just flood her with emoticons and shit, and I’m not sure if she’s as tolerant to them as I am. Tell you what, Max. After we’re done, you go to her place, knock on her door and just step right in like you own the damn world. Then she’ll probably ask what you want, and you just say it all. Everything you have stored up in there.” Chloe poked at Max’s chest a few times. While part of Max wanted to educate Chloe that her heart was located where her left breast was, and not the right, she decided to drop it.  
  
“Everything? Isn’t that kinda...excessive?” Max raised an eyebrow.  
  
Chloe simply shook her head in return. “Nope, not at all. With someone like her, it’s all or nothing. At end of the day, you’re either with her or not, but at least you gave it everything you had. There’s really no more to it than that. I know that you want her pretty badly, so trust me when I say that this is the best option you have. Show her that you mean business, Max. Grab life by the balls...or tits, in this case, I suppose. I know you can do it.” Chloe flashed Max a grin to go with her encouraging words.  
  
“Okay. I will. Thanks Chloe, you’re just the best.” Max wiped the last few teardrops from her eyes before she gave her friend a tight hug. _“You have no idea how much this means to me…”_ _  
_ _  
_“Having a touchy moment here? I hope you can take some time off and eat too. If the cafeteria food is anything like it was back in the days, you must be starving, Max.” Joyce laughed as she put down two platefuls of waffles on the table. “Enjoy.”  
  
“We will. Thanks.” Max nodded back at Joyce, keeping her slightly red eyes away from sight.  
  
“Yeah, thanks Mom.” Chloe waved her mother off as she returned to help paying customers. “How about we dig into these, and then we’ll talk about how you’ll swoon over her? Or we can just skip that and jump straight into the good bits. That’s something I have a lot of experience with, after all.” Chloe grinned while leaning up against her arm. From in between her index and middle finger, she poked out her tongue ever so slightly to make sure Max understood what she meant by the ‘good bits’.  
  
“C-Chloe! It’s not like...we’d just instantly…” Max mumbled quietly.  
  
“Wrong again, Mad Max. That’s exactly what will happen. I know that you look you have in your eyes. That’s the classic ‘I’m so fucking horny and I need you’ sort of look. Trust me, I’m an expert on things like that.” Chloe lectured as she cut a big piece of her waffle before eating it in one piece.  
  
 _“You’re gonna get a stomach ache like that.”_  
  
Yet again, Max was glancing down. This time though, it wasn’t because she had been crying, but because how right Chloe was. When it came to all things sexual, she was truly an expert. At least in comparison to herself.  
  
“H-how...how did you know…?” Max asked after a short moment of silence.  
  
“It’s written all over you. But let’s eat now, and talk about that later. I don’t want you choking up here, of all places. For once, I’ll get to teach you something.” Chloe chuckled.  
  
And for once, Max was more than eager to learn.  
  
*  
  
The day spent with Chloe had been as enjoyable as always; even if the topics they had talked about had been drastically different from usual. Filled with both determination and bravery, Max made her way back to the dorm through the dark streets of Blackwell.  
  
 _“You can do it Max, you can do it. Just...just tell how you feel. That should be enough. Like Chloe said, with Victoria, it’s all in or nothing.”_ Max knew that she’d be at Victoria’s door soon. It was a weekend, but it was still relatively quiet, for once. There had been more than a fair share of parties during previous weeks, so it was fair to assume that students wanted to recharge their batteries every now and then.  
  
 _“You can do it Max...you can do it…”_ Max repeated the words of encouragement to herself like it was a mantra.  
  
The last time she had seen Victoria’s door, it had lead to an enjoyable evening with her. _“If I back off now, who knows what kind of doors will I close behind me? Life is just choices and possibilities...it’s just a question of if you’re brave enough to make them.”_ _  
_ __  
Knock...knock...knock. Each knock was heavier than the last. Part of Max wanted to quickly turn back and go back to her own room, yet her feet were working together with her heart. She wasn’t budging or running away. Not this time around.  
  
“Who’s there?” Victoria’s familiar voice asked from behind the door.  
  
“It’s me,” Max quickly replied. “We...we need to talk.”


	5. Confession and confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max confronts Victoria to tell her how she feels about her. How will Victoria take it?

The few seconds in between her knocking on the door and waiting for Victoria’s response felt like a small eternity to Max. In that short span of time, she went through all the possible outcomes imaginable; Rejection? Acceptance? A relationship? Or even something that a lot of posters on campus tried to discourage. Yet the outcome of the situation was just as unpredictable as one of the women involved in it. Victoria was like a wild card that barely anyone could read properly. Max, however, had seen glimpses of the real Victoria Chase. She wouldn’t be able to sleep properly until she let Victoria know how she truly felt about her.  
  
“Max?” Victoria’s asked, her voice sounding slightly doubtful.  
  
“Yes, it’s me. Can you open up the door? We really need to talk.” Max insisted, putting emphasis on the word ‘really’. Placing a hand on her own chest, Max could feel her rapidly beating heart only increasing its tempo the more she was kept waiting.  
  
_“Calm down Max...sheesh, it’s just Victoria. The worst that can happen is that she’s gonna say no, and then you’re gonna go back to normal. Or...is there even going back to normal from something like this? I don’t know.”_  
  
Max’s agonizing wait luckily didn’t last for too long, as her train of thought was cut short when the door to Victoria’s apartment slowly opened up. As expected of Victoria, even when she was alone and seemingly soon heading to bed, she had made sure she was stylized like the self entitled queen that she was.  
  
It was quite clear that Victoria had just come out of shower, as her hair was wrapped up in a towel. If that alone wasn’t a good enough indication, then the clearly expensive shampoo that Max smelled from her hair surely was. As for her clothes, Victoria had a white satin robe around her with a matching sash to go with it. It was a simple look, yet somehow Victoria managed to make it look so much better than it had any right to be.  
  
“What are you doing here at this hour, Max? This better not be anything school related. It’s the weekend after all and--”  
  
Max stepped into Victoria’s apartment before she could get a chance to finish her sentence. It was a rude gesture, but sometimes one had to play hard when Victoria was involved. Max heard a disapproving huff coming from behind her, yet she was determined to not back down now.  
  
“No, it’s not. It’s...um...more of a personal matter, actually.” Max coughed.  
  
Max had imagined Victoria’s apartment to be just as tidy and stylized as the girl who lived there, and she wasn’t mistaken. Everything was neatly at it’s rightful place; unlike at Max’s own apartment. There were no clothes,magazines, or books lying around. There wasn’t even a speck of dust on her shelves. Victoria’s anime figures, most of them still inside their packages, were clean enough to be mistaken as fresh from a factory.  
  
“Is that so? Well, spit it out then, Caulfield. I’m busy.” Victoria sighed as she crossed her arms under her chest.  
  
“For someone who pretends to be angry, you have no right to be so damn cute…” Max quickly shook her head as she sat down on Victoria’s couch, but not before making sure she wasn’t going to sit on top of anything that would double her student loan.  
  
“R-right, right. Of course, of course. Y-you’re always busy after a-all.” Max let out a nervous chuckle as she tried to put words in her head in an order that’d make sense.  
  
“I guess I should have practiced this in front of a mirror or something. What good are Chloe’s tips of going down under if I don’t even get to kiss her…?!”  
  
The time Victoria had spent with Max had clearly done something to her. Normally she would have called her by all sorts of names at this point, but instead of that, she was only acting annoyed. Max was expecting her to step in and order her to stop stuttering, yet for some reason the taller girl was waiting patiently. Her typical impatient self seemed more like an act, right now. Reading those subtle changes in Victoria was like a form of art, but Max had some experience with it. She knew that she wasn’t walking on thin ice, so she had some room for mistakes before Victoria would actually get annoyed of her antics.  
  
Max heard one of Victoria’s infamous sighs that indicated that she was tired of something. Usually she got to hear it when a teacher was talking about a subject Victoria couldn’t show her superiority at, but now it sounded almost sympathetic; a word very rarely associated with Victoria Chase.  
  
“Hey, there’s no need to so nervous, Max. I thought we talked about this when we were on that trip yesterday, remember? Even if in public we can’t be friends, we can...still be that… at least on some level.” Victoria sat down next to Max before turning to look at her.  
  
_“Oh god. Don’t look at me like that…”_ Max couldn’t stare back at Victoria directly when she was showing her softer, more caring side like this. Max only hoped that she wouldn’t take her gesture the wrong way. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to be friends with her, but because Max didn’t know what would happen if she lost herself in Victoria’s shining brown eyes.  
  
“That’s...that’s actually what I want to talk about. Um, us...being friends.” Max managed to cough up. Fidgeting her fingers and feet, Max slowly raised her hanging head to meet with Victoria’s puzzled gaze.  
  
“I...I...um...I was just thinking that if you’d like to…” Max felt her verbal dictionary drying up as quickly as her throat the longer she stared at Victoria. Max wanted Victoria in her life. Not just as her friendly rival, or as a friend, but as something more. Those mental images. Those wishful scenarios she had obsessively dreamed of for the past few days. They were all so strong and captivating. Max’s head was filling up with images of them kissing in various places. Whether it was public or hidden from curious eyes. None of those details mattered. What mattered was that they were in all of them, together.  
  
“...G-go on a d-date with me.” Max whispered the rest of her sentence so quietly she wasn’t sure if she actually said it, or just thought of doing so. She got a confirmation to her question soon enough, as Victoria had the most unique look on her face after hearing what Max had said.  
  
Even Max, the one person who had been sole target of Victoria’s petty rivalry for over an year now, couldn’t get a read on what she was feeling. At the same time, she was seemingly confused, amused, and intrigued. The worst part for Max, though, was the fact that she wasn’t saying anything.  
  
Victoria’s lips continued to curl up into a devilish smirk as she lavished in the uncomfortable atmosphere. Max had left herself to be as open and weak as possible in the presence of her former rival, and Victoria wouldn’t let a chance like this slide. Not even when they were friends. Or as close to friends as Max could get with someone like Victoria.  
  
“Oh, I see.” Victoria said after keeping Max waiting.  
  
_“I see? That’s it…? What sort of response is that?!”_ Max felt her eyes popping open. For someone so gorgeous, Victoria was equally infuriating at times. Much like a cat, she lavished attention, yet was quick to bite when something didn’t go her way. Now Max was getting that bite. It was more like a punch to her gut, figuratively speaking.  
  
“So um...what do you...is that like a yes or no, or what exactly?” Max asked as she scratched the top of her head. Now she was the puzzled one. She had confessed her feelings, yet Victoria, who had the ball right now, wasn’t seemingly keen on passing it back to her.  
  
“I thought that we had already talked about this, Max. Didn’t I tell you just yesterday how I can’t be seen with someone like you in public as friends, yet alone as something more than that? Do you expect me to just...suddenly change my views like that?” Victoria asked bluntly.  
  
In that moment, Max felt her usual optimism disappear like a flame from a match in midst of a tornado. She had almost expected this sort of outcome, but even in her worst case scenario, she had imagined things to go more smoothly. Now she wasn’t just rejected, but also taunted for acting like an idiot she now felt like she was.  
  
“O-oh...I um…I see. I suppose you’re...you’re right. Heh...as always. How silly of me to...even think about something like that.” Max managed to mumble in midst of her disbelief. Rejection from Victoria was one thing she had expected; one thing she was used to by now, yet for some reason it stung her like needles that went straight to her heart.  
  
“I suppose you should take your leave now.” Victoria shook her head. Max had clearly went too deep too quickly, and now the little faith she had managed to build between her and Victoria was standing on rather shaky ground.  
  
“R-right. Um...good night Victoria.” Max hauled herself out of Victoria’s apartment without even looking back at her. She couldn’t possibly face her right now. The moment Max heard the door being shut behind her, she fell onto her knees.  
  
_“Stupid...I’m so fucking stupid! Why did I...why did I think that this could possibly work? We’re basically from different planets to begin with! She’s...ugh! I hate...why did I have to ruin this?!”_ Max clutched her fists when she felt a few tears dropping out of her eyes. She had played a risky game and lost. She was used to losing against Victoria, but not like this. She gambled it all and as a result, lost everything.  
  
“I...I knew this would happen, but why am I...why am I crying like this? She’s Victoria fucking Chase...and I’m just Max...the dork with a shitty ass old camera…” Max didn’t care if anyone saw her like this, yet luckily for her, the hallway was empty. Max felt like she had nothing to lose at this point, even if they’d start a rumor of Max Caulfield being a crybaby who couldn’t handle rejection. At this point, that’d be the least of her worries.  
  
Picking herself back up again, Max went back to her own place. Dropping down her shoulder bag, Max crashed onto her bed. She needed to talk to someone about this and Chloe was just the right person for that.  
  
As Max started to type out her message, she saw a message pop up on top of her screen -- indicating that she got a message from someone else while typing her hefty and detailed message to Chloe.  
  
“What? This is from Victoria…?” Max said out loud as she tapped her screen furiously. _“Why would she send me a message after that?”_  
  
**Victoria:**

‘If you were serious about what you just said, come to my place again tomorrow. Nine PM. Alone.’  
  
Max thought she couldn’t get more confused by what was going on, yet there was something else attached on Victoria’s text message. It was a file; a picture. Max tapped her screen and soon her download was ready.  
  
No amount of preparation could have readied Max for what she was now seeing. It was Victoria taking a selfie, but showing her cleavage in the process. The satin robe was doing justice, as it showed enough to make Max’s palms sweat, but at same time not too much. There was a small text at bottom of the image saying: ‘You thought I wouldn’t notice, didn’t you?’  
  
_“S-she’s not even wearing a bra…,”_ Max gasped silently. _“H-Holy...shit.”_  
  
Max stared at the photo for a good moment. Long enough for her imagination to get the best of her. While she was erasing and writing Chloe a new message, Max let her free hand trail down in between her legs. Those vivid dreams were now more alive than ever, as Max was practically feeling Victoria’s hands grasping at her body.  
  
She was hearing Victoria’s voice in her head. Soft, yet possessive. Just imagining it caused Max to shiver.  A soft moan escaped Max’s lips, as she imaged her own fingers belonging to Victoria. She hoped Victoria would hear it, too. Max didn’t know, at this point, what was even going on, or what Victoria truly wanted out of her; but one thing was certain. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.


	6. Say my name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max sees Victoria again after an agonizingly long day, but she isn’t planning to let Max off the hook that easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains smut.

Time was a funny thing, in a sense that it always moved at the same speed, yet the pace it moved varied between individuals. There were some classes that felt like an eternity, and some which were over before anyone even realized it was time to pack up and move on. Monday in particular was a day that a lot of people dreaded. Max included. This time, however, she wanted time to move faster, so she could see what the night, or to be precise, Victoria, had in store for her.  
  
Class was in session, yet Max barely registered anything that was being discussed or taught. She managed to gather a few words and put together that she was sitting in a history class, but her brain refused to acknowledge anything else. Max tried to gather her attention and focus, yet in her obsessed mind there was only one thing that was worthy of her attention as of now. Max didn’t even have to reach for her phone to relieve her obsession. She had Victoria’s photo vividly stuck in her mind. Even Max herself realized that what she was experiencing wasn’t simply a crush or a daydream of a young adult at the peak of their hormonal activity; it was obsession, need, longing, and all things signaling an urge to be with someone.   
  
_“Focus, Max...you don’t want to get detention today, of all days…”_ Max rubbed her forehead in hopes of waking up from her trance-like state.   
  
_“Good...good. At least the teacher isn’t focusing on me spacing out, so maybe I can get through this.”_ Max gazed around the classroom in hopes of finding something that’d grab her attention away from Victoria.   
  
Max had been so disoriented that she had forgotten that Victoria was, in fact, in the same class as she was. Like a predator that had caught its next meal in their sight, Victoria was quick to register Max’s wandering gaze. Victoria was leaning up against her left hand as she looked back at Max; her lips forming a sly smirk that was practically Victoria’s trademark at this point. She’d seen just how hard it was for Max to focus on anything after receiving a glimpse of what was to come.   
  
_“Stop...stop looking at me like that.”_ Max tried to convey her message through her facial expressions, and by shooing the air underneath her desk; yet either Victoria didn’t realize, or didn’t care about Max’s puny protests.   
  
It was clear that Victoria enjoyed seeing her former rival squirm the way she did. Max was under her spell with little to no chance of escaping. Waiting was already a torture in itself, yet Victoria was making sure that Max was properly built up before anything concrete would actually happen.   
  
_“Please don’t do this to me…”_ Max begged, even if part of her knew that her hopelessness only encouraged Victoria. Victoria was ruthless, yet even if Max wanted her to stop, there was a genuine part of her that only felt her barely contained lust for the rich girl rise up the more she was kept on such a short leash.   
  
Max’s tried to look away, yet the moment Victoria spread her legs, she knew she couldn’t possibly look away. The cocky grin on Victoria’s face only widened as she saw Max’s pupils widening. Even across the classroom, Victoria saw that Max was gulping and barely able to keep a straight face. She was teasing Max in ways only Victoria knew how. As expected, it was working like a charm. All according to Victoria’s carefully schemed plan.   
  
Max felt worried that some of the students would realize what was going on between her and Victoria, but  fortunately, no one seemed to really be paying attention to the class to begin with, let alone to what other students were doing. The teacher was practically talking to himself, with only a few students nodding back at him when he turned his attention to them.   
  
Max’s little private show soon came to an end when Victoria decided to lift one of her legs over the other. While Max was still seeing just how gorgeous her long legs were, she no longer could see the clearly expensive garment in between them. She knew that it was all part of Victoria’s plan. She wanted to make sure Max was absolutely true to her innermost desires. At this rate, Victoria would have nothing to worry about.   
  
*   
  
If there had been homework given this day, Max hadn’t registered it. If someone had talked to her today, she hadn’t realized it. The day thus far had been just meaningless hours passing by. Nothing more, nothing less. It all culminated in something Max had been waiting for for what felt like an eternity, at this point; even if her longing for Victoria had only surfaced a few days back.   
  
Max couldn’t help herself not to ponder just what it was about Victoria Chase that made her feel this way. She had known for a long time that she liked girls, so it wasn’t just a sudden rise of her sexual awakening that was fueling her at this point. Kate was a sweet angel, and Chloe was the cool best friend who had been there for her ever since childhood; yet for some reason it was the elegant, rich girl who managed to get Max’s heart to pound like no one else. As to why this was the case, she had no clue.   
  
_“Why...why am I feeling like this? We’ve barely spent any time together, yet I can't stop thinking about her…”_ Max pondered as she gazed at the slowly rotating ceiling fan. The slow sound of the rotating blades was like a testament to how time was practically standing still.   
  
_“Is this really love, or am I just really lusting after something that I think is way out of my league?”_ Max reached out for her phone. The last image she had been looking at was the one Victoria had sent her last night. To her own surprise, she now wanted to look at something else. Swiping away few times, Max stopped when she saw the picture of them posing and smiling together. Seeing them getting along was, in an odd way, more arousing than the teasing image Victoria had sent her last night.   
  
_“I don’t just want her...I want to be_ **_with_ ** _her.”_ Max came to a sudden realization. She had pushed back her own thoughts as images of a barely clothed Victoria had been occupying her every waking thought.   
  
_“I wonder what she wants from someone like me? Is she only doing this to play with me? To toy with my feelings? I don’t think even Victoria is that shallow.”_ Max turned around in her bed. _“I just hope I’m not shooting for the stars with her. Does she want the same things as I do? Could she ever come down from her high horse to be seen in public with someone like me? Maybe even hold hands or kiss me, and let the entire world see us? Would she do that?”_   
  
Things with Victoria had always been confusing, and complicated to say the least, but never as much as they were now. With their petty rivalry out of the way, something completely different had come to fill its place instead. Even Max didn’t know if she was feeling symptoms of love, or longing and lust; but one thing was certain. She couldn’t get Victoria out of her head, even if she tried to.   
  
Max was so lost in her thoughts that she barely realized how quickly time had passed. Simply gazing into the distance, and being lost in her own thoughts, was more than enough for the clock to speed up until it was already starting to get dark. The alarm on Max’s phone woke her up from her nap-like state; causing her to pop out of her bed. Feeling a bit disoriented, Max shook her head to regain her focus.   
  
“Should I just...say to her what I truly want? I don’t want just sex, I want...I want.” Max spoke out loud while resting a hand up against her chest, feeling her heartbeat only increasing the more she had to wait. _“What do I want…?”_   
  
Once again, Max was standing outside of Victoria’s apartment. Just like last time, it was agonizing to simply wait; but now, it was exceptionally so, since Victoria knew she her guest was filled with anticipation this time.   
  
The hallway was empty, which was something Max was thankful for. Explaining her situation when it came to her and Victoria was hard enough in and of itself, but explaining why she was nervously fidgeting outside of her apartment late at night would have been an even tougher task.   
  
_“Come on, come on...open up!”_ Max raised up her right hand in order to knock on Victoria’s door. Before she could land her knock, she felt her phone vibrate. _“A new message, from Victoria.”_   
  
**Victoria:  
** ‘It’s just you, right? No one is following you or anything?’  
  
Max grunted after reading Victoria’s message. She had the confidence of flashing her panties in class, but suddenly she was worried that someone might see Max entering her apartment. _“As if my life is so interesting that someone would be stalking me, sheesh.”_  
  
“You’re just unbelievable, Victoria.” Max grunted out loud as she started to quickly tap a response:  
  
**Max:**  
‘Yes, don’t worry about it. Can you now open the door, please?’  
  
Max was almost anticipating her good luck to come to an end the more she had to wait. Victoria was playing hard to get, which was exceptionally infuriating as of now. The back and forth bickering in the past was one thing, but this type of teasing was agonizing on a whole new level.  
  
_“Open up...dammit, open up!”  
  
_ Max’s prayers were answered as the door to Victoria’s dorm slowly opened up. Max wasted no time in jumping in, closing the door tightly shut right afterwards. It didn’t take a genius to realize that Victoria was secretive about her life to begin with, especially so when it came to her more personal, private matters. What Max was imagining happening between them was definitely a private matter.  
  
Turning around, Max realized what had taken Victoria so long. Her hair was stylized even more so than normally; this time smelling like a mixture of strawberry and peach, while still retaining the short look Victoria was known for. As for her clothes, she had the same small skirt she had wore earlier today, but she had changed her shirt from a black one into a white one; yet it still had short sleeves, so her golden bracelets were clearly visible. The stockings Victoria had on highlighted her gorgeous legs, drawing Max’s attention to them with ease, as Victoria stepped closer to her, swinging her hips slowly from side to side while doing so.  
  
“Hello, Max. I think we both know what you want at this point.” Victoria whispered quietly into Max’s ear right after swiping her thick, brown hair aside. Leaning in closer to her, Victoria opened up her mouth ever so slightly, exposing her teeth for a brief moment, before she nibbled at Max’s earlobe.  
  
A quiet moan escaped Max’s lips when she felt Victoria pressing her up against a nearby wall. Her whole body was already shivering, as she had been more or less on the edge from last night up until this moment. As Max had expected, it was Victoria’s touch that helped her unwind and relax. She was the cause as well as the cure.  
  
“Mmm...I know that you’ve been dreaming of this. The way you looked at me back in that shower. You just haven’t been able to focus on anything ever since, am I correct?” Victoria continued with her teasing; her lips moving lower until she found herself marking Max’s exposed neck. Lifting up Max’s left leg into the air, Victoria pressed herself right up against her with one of her hands feeling the curves that Max’s jeans formed. As Victoria had expected, Max was quick to lock her leg around her waist, begging for more silently when her lips couldn’t form a proper sentence.  
  
“Y-yes. Oh, you h-have...no idea…” Max panted in the midst of Victoria’s kisses. Max was already able to tell that some of the kisses Victoria had planted on her neck would definitely leave a mark. For someone so sophisticated, Victoria wasn’t really living up to her reputation. Max had expected Victoria to be gentle. The rougher, more possessive approach was surprising, but very much to her liking. Explaining her hickeys to others would be a troublesome, but that was something future-Max had to worry about. What the current Max was more worried about was getting out of her clothes quickly enough.  
  
“Oh, but I think I have. On our trip together, I saw you glancing at me. Multiple times, even. Yesterday, you confessed your feelings because you can’t hold them in any longer. Admit it Max, you don’t just _want_ me, you _need_ me.”  
  
Max couldn’t protest, as everything Victoria had just said was true. She had looked at her in ways friends don’t look at one another during their trip. She had confessed her feelings because she couldn’t keep them to herself. It was a risky game, as one might expect things to be with Victoria, but even if it had hurt Max to get initially rejected, it was all worth it. Just for the sake of this.  
  
“I need you.” Max bit her lower lip in hopes of silencing her own moans. She wanted the entire Blackwell to know what was going on, but at same time, that’d mean the end of it all. This taste. This feeling. It was a combination that Max wanted more than anything else in her life. Already she was feeling herself becoming dizzy from being able to live her fantasies like this. The woman in her arms was Victoria Chase. She was actually making love to Victoria Maribeth Chase.   
  
“I need you, Victoria,” Max repeated. “What more do you want me to say?” Max felt herself becoming more and more desperate. The kisses. The touches. They were everything she had hoped for, yet she wanted more. So much more. It felt like a forbidden act to so greedily ask for more, when she had already achieved more with Victoria than anyone else in Blackwell had in their entire time with her. Still, it wasn’t enough. Max was lost to the sensation; unable to simply stop and think rationally at this point.  
  
“Beg for me.” Victoria grinned as she saw Max panting. While Max certainly wasn’t the only one who had urges to toss away her clothes, Victoria was definitely the one who was better at controlling her desires. Feeling like she had a invisible collar around Max’s neck, she lavished in seeing her former rival in such a needy state. It was an opportunity she had dreamed of for so long; and now she had it handed to her on a silver plate.  
  
“W-what?” Max asked in her disbelief. She wanted to protest against Victoria’s suggestion, yet she had come too far for things to end now. Max didn’t like the idea of being part of Victoria’s powerplay fantasy, yet it was clear that the taller girl had a thing for it. If she got a kick out of that, then so be it.  
  
“P-please Victoria...I can’t...I can’t…” Max protested. It was becoming increasingly hard for her to speak her mind, let alone flatter the girl who had ridiculously high standards on just about anything. _“Just let me have you…!”_ _  
__  
_ “You can’t what? If you truly want me, then say it, Max. Say it _all_.” Victoria knew the best way to get Max to properly submit. She let her fingers trail around her hips; lips parting from her neck as she pulled herself out of Max’s hold. She had given her a taste of what was to come. If she wanted to get the rest, she’d have to play by her rules.  
  
“Fucking hell Victoria, don’t do this to me!” Max cried out. There was only so much Max could endure, and now she was close to her breaking point. “I need you, I fucking need you, don’t you see that?!” Max pushed the taller girl back until they were both standing in Victoria’s living room.  
  
“What more do you want me to say to you, huh?! That I can’t stop thinking about you every waking minute of every day? Is that what you want me to say? Fine, because it’s true!” Max pushed Victoria again, this time causing her to land on top of her bed, causing a few pillows to fall off.  
  
“Do you want me to get on all fours and beg, too? I’ll do it if you want me to. Just because I know I’m going insane if you’re going to keep up your bait and switch act a second longer. Can’t you see that I love you? Is that so hard for you to wrap your head around? Yes, a lowly dork like me has a crush on you. Ain’t that rich?   
I don’t care if I don’t have a chance to be with you. I have confessed my feelings for you and...and…” Max clutched her fist and wiped away her recently formed tears from her eyes. “And...that’s all. So here I am, Victoria. Take it or leave it.”   
  
Max couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this sort of adrenaline rush. She was worked up for sure, but even more so than that, she was frustrated. Frustrated at the fact that Victoria was toying with her like this. She was expecting rejection, yet she had received a chance. She had seen glimpses of the real Victoria. The actual person, and not the act that consisted of makeup and expensive clothes. She had gotten a taste, yet now she was being denied it once more.  
  
“Max…” Victoria said after letting Max finish her speech. “I just wanted to see if you were serious about this, that’s all. You’re not the first one to say those words to me, but I feel like you’re the first one who truly means them. I’m sorry if this felt like a test, but I just...I had to be sure,” Victoria said as she scratched the back of her head. “But I must say...seeing you all fired up like that...it makes me want to do things to you.” Victoria was quick to return to her usual self as she beckoned for Max to come closer with a teasing wag of her index finger.  
  
Max wasted no time in accepting Victoria’s invitation. Jumping on top of her, Max didn’t hesitate for a second to show just how honest her words had been. Even if in Max’s dreams she had been the one on bottom, their first proper kiss was still just as passionate as she had dreamed it to be. Victoria’s red lipstick was quick to spread onto Max’s lips, yet it didn’t slow either of them down one bit.  
  
The sound of their lips sealing around one another echoed in the small apartment. It was a sound Max had imagined in her nightly fantasies, but now she didn’t have to dream about it anymore. The mixture of panting and slurping was the sweetest music Max had ever heard. Already, she found herself wanting more and more of it.  
  
Their lips parted for a brief moment, leaving both of them panting. Max wasted no time in leaning in to kiss Victoria once more when she saw just how much she was enjoying herself as well. She wanted her; Victoria Chase wanted her.  
  
“I love you,” Max moaned in between their kisses. The small gaps around their lips were enough for their moans to be heard; only fueling their tongue to further explore and dance around with each other.

  
“M-Max…” Victoria managed to respond, even if Max was making it hard for her to speak up her mind.  
  
“Please…” Max hesitated to break the kiss, yet she knew she needed more than that at this point. A thin bridge of saliva was hanging in between their mouths, but broke when Max arched her back. “Victoria I...I want you. I don’t...I don’t want this to be just…” Max tried to find a way to convey her feelings in midst of it all. Her mind was choosing words, yet her lips refused to voice them.  
  
_“Why...why can’t I…? What am I afraid of at this point…?”_ Max wordlessly stared at Victoria. _“Because...you want me too...right?”  
  
_ Max didn’t get to finish her sentence as Victoria swapped places with her. The brown haired photographer was now lying on the bed with blonde girl sitting on top of her lap. Victoria let her fingers caress Max’s cheek before trailing them down, stopping only once she had her hands on the buttons of Max’s red striped shirt.  
  
“How about we leave confessions for another time? At this point, there are other things I’d much rather hear coming out of that pretty little mouth of yours,” Victoria murmured as she started to slowly unbutton Max’s shirt.  
  
Max was surprised by the fact that Victoria still managed to keep her cool demeanor even when things were so heated. While she was already losing her mind at this point, Victoria was the picture perfect image of ladylike patience. One button...two buttons...a third one. Max’s shirt loosened up almost in a rhythmical fashion.  
  
Burning desire within Max was only growing with each passing second, yet once her shirt was opened, it felt like a load was taken off her shoulders. Unlike Victoria, Max’s undergarment wasn’t flashy nor expensive. For her, they were there simply to do their function, and not to look good. Max had almost expected Victoria to point that out: add one more thing to her list of taunts; but to her surprise, that didn’t happen.  
  
Instead of taunting her, Victoria took Max’s lips for another kiss, pushing her tongue deep into her mouth to properly silence the more vocal girl. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy hearing her talk, but there was a time and place for it. This wasn’t it. Whatever Max had to say, it could, and had to wait.  
  
Victoria’s fingers found their way behind Max’s back to undo her bra. What Max imagined to be rather awkward was over in a matter of seconds, with a quiet clicking sound signaling a job well done. Victoria wasted no time in pulling Max’s bra off, exposing Max’s breasts and her slightly perky nipples. Much like rest of Max’s body, they too were just begging for attention at this point. Arching her back, Max moaned in between their kisses as she felt Victoria’s fingers toying with her, circling and pinching her nipples.  
  
“You’re so pretty, Max.” Victoria whispered. The combination of sweet talk and pleasure was making it hard for Max to keep herself quiet. She couldn’t hold back her moans anymore when everything was so perfect. Victoria was praising her; saying that she was beautiful; all the while proving her words true with her actions. Max was worried that at this rate others would definitely hear her. She wanted the whole world to know that Victoria had chosen her, yet the time for it wasn’t now.  
  
“Aah!” Max gasped in delight as she felt Victoria wrapping her lips around her nipples. Placing them in between her teeth, Victoria made sure they stayed still as she let her tongue lap the sensitive nubs. Seeing Max so openly submit to her desires was a sight Victoria knew she would never get bored of. Max was honest; sometimes even painfully so, so it was no surprise she wasn’t holding herself back now, either.  
  
“Be quiet…” Victoria gasped quietly as she switched her attention from one perky nipple to another. With Max’s mouth hanging open, Victoria pushed her free hand to muffle her with the palm of her hand before sliding her index and middle finger inside of her mouth. “Or do you want this to end now? I get the feeling that you very much want to see everything I have in store for you.” Victoria grinned.  
  
Max quickly nodded back at her, whimpering helplessly under Victoria’s touch. “Victoria…” Max managed to say with two fingers still in her mouth. _“I want you...only you…”  
  
_ Victoria licked her lips clean from all the saliva that had gathered there. While seeing Max this needy was indeed a sight she had secretly desired ever since seeing her, even more rewarding was the fact that she was the cause of it all. Even through Max’s jeans, Victoria could tell that the girl underneath her was practically radiating heat at this point.  
  
“I feel like I know what you want,” Victoria flashed a sly smirk as she pushed herself up against Max, spreading out her legs to give her roaming fingers easy access to explore the rest of her body. “You want me to do what I desire with you...and I think you know what I’m thinking of right now.” To prove any doubt Max might have had wrong, Victoria started to slowly rub Max through her jeans. It was yet another thing Max had imagined to go differently. In her fantasies, it had been her who had been in between Victoria’s long legs. This sort of outcome, while unexpected, was definitely to her liking.  
  
“Yes...oh yes. Ah...oh-!” Max squirmed in response when she felt Victoria’s fingers teasing her through her clothing. Knowing just how slow and delicate Victoria was when it came to undressing, Max knew she had to help herself out or she’d be finished before she got rid of rest of her clothes. Reaching out for her belt, Max started to unbuckle herself. She couldn’t possibly wait at this point; especially not after hearing Victoria’s praise.  
  
“Aren’t you impatient?” Victoria chuckled at the sight in front of her. Max grinned back at her, knowing that her impatience was but a boost to Victoria’s already inflated ego. It was because of _her_ that Max was feeling like this.  
  
“It’s because of you.” Max panted as she managed to toss away the belt buckle. Where it landed didn’t matter, as long as it didn’t go flying toward anything expensive. Judging by the look on Victoria’s face, it seemed like Max got lucky this time around. “I’ve never felt like this before and...I need you Victoria, I _need_ you!” Max cried out in her frustration.   
  
Max had been quick to unbuckle herself, yet taking off her jeans wasn’t clearly as smooth of a process as she had hoped it to be. Max wanted to curse, yet such urges soon came to halt when Victoria decided to lend her a helping hand. Grabbing Max by her buttcheeks, Victoria lifted up her hips in the air and pulled off her jeans quickly, leaving the brown haired girl only with her panties and her animal striped socks.  
  
“What do you want me to do to you? I’m sorry, but I’m rather clueless about these sort of things.” Victoria murmured, knowing fully well what Max wanted -- needed, at this point.  
  
“Victoria...d-don’t...don’t do this to me now…” Max gasped for air, her chest rising up and down the more she had to wait. With her legs already spread out and Victoria’s hand roaming around her inner thigh, it was only a matter of time until Max would get what she so badly needed.  
  
“Do you want me to eat you out? Have my head in between your legs and my tongue deep in your wet pussy?” Victoria asked, despite fully knowing the answer to her own question. Seeing Max in such a desperate and weak state was both amusing and oddly pleasing to her. Max was like this because of her. She was begging, she was hopeless because of her. The mere realization of that was more than enough to make Victoria smile.  
  
Max couldn’t even reply back to her at this point. Lifting up her hips, Max wordlessly encouraged Victoria to pull off her panties, and have her way with her. At this point, Max could smell her own desire. The undeniably lustful scent permeated in the air. Max squirmed and whined, her body flailing in desperation the longer she had to wait.  
  
“V-Victoria...I’m begging you...don’t tease me. I-I need it, I need...I need you!” Max screamed out.  
  
“Shush!” Victoria gestured Max to be quiet. Luckily the panties were much easier to get rid off than jeans. While part of Victoria wanted to tear the panties off just so she could give Max similar ones she had, she decided to go with the more delicate route by simply sliding them off. Seeing where Max had thrown her belt, Victoria swirled the moist piece of clothes in her fingertips before tossing it to join the pile.  
  
“I hope you can keep quiet now...as I’m not about to be as gentle as I’ve been up until now.” Victoria lowered her head in between Max’s spread legs, her blonde hair hovering over Max’s pussy.  
  
“I...I’ll try…” Max said. She wanted to make it a promise, but she knew couldn’t guarantee it. Thus far, Victoria had been better than Max could have imagined in her wildest dreams. If what was gonna come up was anything like before, Max would probably have to ruin one of Victoria’s pillows to keep herself quiet.  
  
“Good, but feel free to fail if you want. I do appreciate being in such honest company, after all.” Victoria said as she close her eyes and opened up her mouth. From the first touch of Victoria’s tongue against Max’s wet lips, one thing became clear; Max couldn’t possibly stay quiet.  
  
*  
  
Chloe was already fast asleep when she was awoken by the sound of her vibrating phone. Everyone who she was in contact with knew how much she disliked being woken up in middle of the night, unless they had something of utmost importance to talk about. Swiping some of her blue hair aside, Chloe reached out for her phone.  
  
“One message from Mad Max herself. Ooh, maybe she got lucky.” Chloe chirped as she tapped the screen to see Max’s message.  
  
**Max:** **  
** ‘Thanks for those tips, Chloe. They were...pretty useful ( *’ω’* ) ‘  
  
Despite her being tired, Chloe couldn’t help herself not to smile. She felt an odd sense of pride, like a mother bird seeing their baby fly for the first time. “I knew those would come in handy. Heh...handy.” Chloe snorted as she put down her phone. She’d get to squeeze out every juicy detail out of Max tomorrow.


	7. Comforting lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After spending a night with Victoria, Max tries to get back to a normal life. Things aren’t really as easy as she had wished them to be, though.

It had been a long time since Max had woken up early with a smile on her face, but last night’s events were more than enough of a reason for her to feel joyful. Everything had gone more or less according to plan, except for the fact that Max had had to go back to her own place to sleep. The reasoning behind it was obvious. It was a lot easier to explain what Max was doing at Victoria’s place late at night compared to explaining what she was doing leaving when the sun was still rising.  
  
_“Oh wow...I’m still shaking from last night.”_ Max thought as she gazed at her own feet. While the air outside was cold thanks to a thunderstorm predicted for today day, it didn’t bother her at all. She felt a warm embrace surrounding her, even if it was partly due to literal marks Victoria had left on her body. Glancing at a nearby mirror, Max stepped closer to inspect what Victoria had done to her last night.  
  
_“Ouch...talk about possessive, Victoria…”_ Max’s neck looked more like a scratching pole than part of her body, at this point. Love bites were scattered all over it, as well as nail marks to go with them. _“It seems like in the heat of the moment, even you can drop your pretenses, Vic. Not that I mind really,”_ Max smirked at herself. _  
__  
_ It would be hard to explain all of this to anyone other than Chloe. While Chloe knew the cause behind it all, having others know would most likely only lead to trouble. It wasn’t really her own reputation that Max was worried about, but the possibility of this somehow leading Victoria into shying away from her once more, too. That simply wasn’t an option. Not at this point.  
  
_“Good thing scarves are back in season,”_ Max pondered as she trailed her fingers over her neck. Her skin was sore, but it was all worth it for the emotional high Max was still experiencing. She could practically still hear all the dirty confessions Victoria had whispered to her last night. The freshness of the marks only helped Max’s imagination run that much wilder, as she was almost feeling her touch then and there once more.  
  
_“I suppose I should also check the rest, just in case,”_ Max turned around. As she was only wearing a bra and panties, it was easy for her to see the full extent of last night’s adventure. While marks on Max’s neck were visible, they were at the very least, small. The same couldn’t be said about the ones on her back. It looked like Max had been mating with a feline beast, as a long trail of nail marks stretched all the way from her shoulders to hips. Some even reached lower than that.  
  
“Ouch…” Max sighed. As she had expected, it didn’t end there. As Max’s eyes trailed lower, she saw that the rich girl had put quite the emphasis on her lower half. Upon sliding her panties aside from covering her behind, Max saw that Victoria hadn’t held herself back, even when she had been down there. It wasn’t just her nails that had left their signature there, but also bite marks, and even a shape of Victoria’s hand, be it a bit faint at this point.  
  
_“Oh sheesh, Victoria. As if keeping all of this a secret isn’t hard enough. Now you’re making even sitting down hard for me!”_ While Max had expected the elegant girl to be more refined, and in control of herself, she couldn’t dismiss the fact that just thinking about the night they had shared was enough to make her smile. While Victoria had been hesitant to say the exact words Max had wished to hear, it had been absolutely perfect otherwise. If this bodily pain and these marks on her were the price of it, she’d happily pay it over and over again.  
  
_“I suppose I should get dressed and head to class,”_ Max gave herself one final look before she turned her attention away from her full-length mirror. After quickly putting on her clothes and lifting up her trademark shoulder bag, Max stormed out of the dorm, feeling more energetic and happy than she had in a long time. This was going to be a good day. She just knew it.  
  
*  
  
Even though Max had awoken earlier than she had in a long time, it had still taken her quite some time to find her way into her class. Just why it had taken her so long, Max didn’t know, but anyone who had seen her walk could tell that the young photographer was practically lost in her thoughts. The dreamy smile on Max’s face; her slow, carefree stepping; they all told the same tale. She was thinking of something. Or in this case, someone.  
  
A faint knock on a door interrupted the talk coming out of the classroom. Some of the teachers in Blackwell liked to turn a minor inconvenience such as a student coming into class a bit late into a much bigger drama than it had any right to be. Michelle Grant was an exception to that rule. While it was tough as nails to even pass her courses if you didn’t actually read and study the material, she was understanding and accepting when students were late; especially when they seemed to be genuinely sorry about it.  
  
“I’m terribly sorry for being late,” Max bowed her head down slightly in apology.  
  
Michelle smiled back at Max before gesturing her to find a seat. “That’s quite all right Max. I’m just glad you decided to show up.”  
  
Max looked around the classroom in hopes of finding her seat only to find that it wasn’t going to be a typical chemistry lesson of simply listening and writing down. The desks and chairs had been put together to form a set of tables and on each table there were safety goggles and other equipment one needed to test theories with.  
  
_“Where’s Brooke?”_ Max pondered as she tried to find her science partner, but with no luck.  
  
“Oh, Brooke isn’t here either? That’s a shame. Find a seat somewhere so we can get started, Max,” Michelle said as she crossed names on a list of days attendees.  
  
Most of the students were already in their respective groups of two, three or even four, but there was still someone other than Max who was left alone, much to Max’s surprise. Just how Victoria of all people had been left alone was a mystery that Max couldn’t possibly know the answer to, because she had been late. Maybe she had done this on purpose, just so they could be paired up together. Either that, or it was the universe that had made sure Courtney had to be away that day for another kind of chemistry to bloom. Whatever the answer was, Max was happy of the outcome.  
  
It was, in many ways, weird to see Victoria frown after yesterday. The tall, rich girl had been all smiles as she had gotten to do things to Max she had undoubtedly been dreaming of for quite some time, yet now it was like none of that had ever happened. Just the way she looked at Max was full of her typical disgust and her usual ‘I’m better than you’ mentality that Max often got the lionshare of.  
  
“Good morning,” Max said casually as she sat down next to Victoria. While part of Max wanted to push her chair closer to her than others did, she knew it was for the best to keep her distance and act like nothing had changed between them.  
  
“Morning,” Victoria practically hissed back at Max.  
  
“Um...is everything okay?” Max lowered her voice to a whisper, just to be sure not to raise any suspicion.  
  
If Victoria had been seemingly on the edge before, now she truly seemed to get angry. The pout turned into a frown as Victoria turned her head slightly to meet Max’s pondering gaze. “Didn’t we talk about this last night? Nothing happened.”  
  
“But…” Max raised her voice ever so slightly before lowering it down once more. as she continued. “But...things did happen. A lot of things,” Max loosened up her scarf slightly to expose her neck to Victoria. In a span of a few seconds, Victoria went through a mild shock, amusement, and a period of fear. Grabbing a hold of Max’s scarf, Victoria tightened it back up, as if to make sure no one else saw what she just did.  
  
“As if I don’t know that,” Victoria growled under her breath. Normally Victoria was always confident and in control of things and her own emotions, yet there was something about Max that always got under her skin. “...It does look good on you though.”  
  
Max raised one of her eyebrows at Victoria’s comment. Max was used to Victoria’s game of badmouthing and then indirectly complimenting at this point, but it still caught even her by surprise. “Do you mean the scarf or what you did to my neck?” Max asked with a sly smirk on her face. While flirting definitely wasn’t one of her strongest assets, it seemed like some of that magical Chloe-charm was finally starting to rub off on her. Max made a mental note to thank Chloe for that the next time they’d see each other.  
  
“...Both.” Victoria whispered in return. Max had seen a lot of things yesterday that were printed into her memory for the rest of her life, yet it seemed like this morning was yet another addition to that selected memory bank. Victoria Maribeth Chase was blushing: blushing at her spontaneous flirt. At this point, it didn’t matter if Max were to fail all the upcomings tests. She had achieved something seemingly impossible already.  
  
“Ooh, look at you,” Max smirked after she had seen enough of this rare sight.  
  
Victoria’s blush was just as quick to fade out as it had appeared. The taller of the two girls was soon back to her former self, and clearly unamused by seeing Max act like this. “What part are you not understanding, Caulfield? This isn’t happening.” Victoria cursed under her breath.  
  
Max’s eyes opened wide for a moment. Everything with Victoria was always like this. Bait and switch. Nice one moment, awful the next. It was all a song and dance that Max was practically a master of, at this point. Even she had her limits, though, and right now Victoria was very much pushing them. Max opened up her mouth to say something in protest, but she went silent when she saw Victoria sliding a piece of paper to her under the desk.  
  
_“Meet me in the nearby bathroom in few minutes. I’ll go first.”_ Max had no idea what was going on inside of Victoria’s head, but she knew that she couldn’t possibly resist whatever she had in mind for her either.  
  
“Pardon me teacher, but I need to go to restroom,” Victoria promptly declared. She didn’t turn to look at Max as she simply walked out the classroom like nothing out of ordinary.  
  
_“Why are you playing so hard to get, Victoria? You could just hold my hand and be there for me, but you always make things so damn complicated.”_ Max pondered while she observed the other students around the classroom. No one seemed to be paying attention to them, which in Max’s mind was a good thing. She wanted everyone to know how much she loved Victoria, yet it seemed like that feeling wasn’t mutual, even if the lust and longing the two had for each other was.  
  
“I need to go to bathroom as well,” Max announced, before putting down her shoulder bag to mark her seat, and then walking out of the classroom. After making sure that the hallway was empty, and no one was following her, Max stepped into the nearby girls bathroom.  
  
Even in an environment that was both unhygienic and shameless, at least as far as the messages written on the walls and bathroom stalls were concerned, Victoria somehow managed to make it all seem like scenery out of a romance novel. Just how she did that, Max had no idea. She didn’t have time to even ask, as Victoria grabbed her by her wrist, and pulled Max into one of the bathroom stalls with her.    
  
Judging by the lack of sounds coming around them, it seemed like the bathrooms were empty for now. It was a good thing, as it didn’t take long for the two of them to kiss. The sloppy sound of lips magnetizing to each other echoed within the small room.  
  
Hesitating to break the kiss at first, Max broke off from Victoria’s possessive grasp; panting as she stared at the taller girl. “Victoria...why can’t you just do this in the open?” Max asked. She wanted to lean back in for a kiss, yet she knew that more she followed down that path, the harder it would be for her to talk and reason with Victoria. She wanted this; perhaps even more than Victoria; but she also wanted answers.  
  
“You know the answer to that,” Victoria said. “You look so damn hot in that scarf...but even better without it…” Victoria wasn’t just standing idle, as she loosened up Max’s scarf while continuing to pin the brown haired girl against the bathroom wall. Soon the red piece of garment fell down on the floor, exposing Victoria’s latest masterpiece. “This would make for a good photo. I think the title would be…”Love Hurts.”  
  
Max couldn’t disagree with Victoria, but she knew that by giving in to her temptations, she’d never get the answers she sought. When Victoria leaned in to kiss Max’s neck once more, Max pulled her head back.  
  
“What gives? If you didn’t want this, you wouldn’t have followed me,” Victoria sneered. Clearly being denied hurt the rich girl’s pride, as it seemed like all that lust was suddenly pushed aside.  
  
Max took a deep breath before lifting up her head to meet up with Victoria’s angered gaze. She knew she had to stand her ground, or things would always stay the same as the way they were right now. The sex was undoubtedly amazing, but a hole in her heart couldn’t only be filled through her loins. Max yearned for Victoria’s love, but not simply in a physical sense. She wanted her in and out of bedroom, out in the open, and in public. She wanted to hold her hand; kiss her. She wanted everyone to know that she loved Victoria Chase and for Victoria to do the same.  
  
“Victoria, I…” Max hesitated for a moment. She knew that if she chose her words poorly, this could be the end of it all. She had gone further with Victoria than anyone else had gotten so far, but now she was betting it all on her next move. She knew that there were only two possible results: winning or losing everything she had worked for. “...I don’t want just sex. I mean...don’t get me wrong, the sex is amazing, you’re absolutely amazing,” Max stuttered slightly. It seemed like praising Victoria was the right way to soothe the elegant girl, as she seemed to now be listening to her rather than looking like she was about to take her leave.  
  
“But...but more than that, I want you, Victoria,” Max grabbed Victoria by her hands, her fingers caressing those soft palms. “I want to hold your hands and kiss you. I want everyone in Blackwell to see that we love each other. I don’t...I don’t want to hide this. Not when I feel so strongly about you,” Max confessed. Even though her heart had been beating quickly so often in the past few days, be it from Max confessing her feelings for the first time, or their first sexual encounter, this one still took the cake. The soft drumming of Max’s heart had quickly turned into a real drum solo, as she waited to hear what Victoria had to say.  
  
“Max…” Victoria sighed. Max could only gulp as she was kept waiting. This time though, Victoria didn’t seem to do it on purpose, but instead because she needed time to make up her mind. It was clear at this point that they both liked each other,  but Victoria’s reputation was like a wall in between them. “...Fine. But you’re going to have to give me some time to make...adjustment, okay? We’re not...just going to hold hands and smooch in the hallway today or tomorrow.”  
  
Max didn’t even answer Victoria back, as she instead replied by pulling the taller girl back into her embrace. Michelle would have to wait, as neither of them would be able to leave within the given bathroom break limits now.  
  
*  
  
Max had been the one to return to classroom first, leaving Victoria to stare at the mirror after washing her face. No matter how much cold water she splashed on herself, it didn’t make dealing with the situation she had wrapped herself into any easier. Lying was pretty much her second nature, yet this occasion was a rare one in a sense that it actually hurt her. She needed this release, this rush of adrenaline. Victoria was the type who had everything planned out, all the way from her morning clothes to her future career. But now that equation had an exception: Max Caulfield. Somehow she had made her way into her life, and now Victoria didn’t know how or when to stop.  
  
_“You should just be honest to her. After everything that has happened between you two, that’s the least you could do,”_ Victoria shook her head. The normally cool and reserved reflection was now saddened. Her consciousness rarely made her stop or think about her actions, but now Victoria couldn’t simply ignore the voices in her head.  
  
“But you know you can’t take a risk like that. What if you become a new laughing stock? Victoria Chase, lowering her standards to date a dork. I thought you were better than that...that’s what they’re gonna say, all of them…” Victoria pulled out her phone. It didn’t take long for her to find the picture she was looking for. There they were. Her and Max Caulfield. Her former rival, and now something else. Max hoped they would become a couple, but Victoria knew that’d never happen. Lying to her just to prolong the inevitable break up hurt, but Victoria, much like Max, was weak. She wanted this, but to her the price was simply too much.  
  
“Don’t hate me for this Max. Even though you have every right in the world to do so…” Victoria sighed as she looked at the picture one last time before her phone asked her to confirm her choice. Delete picture. Delete album.


	8. House of cards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max is slowly starting to realize that things with Victoria aren’t as perfect as she had made them out to be.

For someone who was normally relatively quiet and reserved, the past few weeks in Max Caulfield’s life had been filled with a lot of noise. Her relationship with Victoria Chase, the queen of Blackwell herself, was now official; or as official as Victoria was letting it be at the given time. They had agreed to take things slow, and even if it meant that they didn’t share their mutual affection in public; not even hand holding; it was still enough for Max to get out of her bed every morning with a smile on her face. Now she had a purpose, and a reason to wake up, other than just to pass her courses in order to graduate someday. Now she had found the love of her life.  
  
“Oh, shit,” Max panted. She was still sensitive after rolling around in Victoria’s bed for a good few hours. While Max was begging Victoria to stop, even if only for a moment, the rich girl showed no signs of letting Max off the hook just yet. “P-please Victoria, l-let me catch my breath first.” It took Max all of her willpower to say those words, but she needed to focus, and for once, get the other girl to really listen to her.  
  
“What is it, Max?” Victoria asked hesitantly, her voice sounding both pleased at her own performance and annoyed at the same time for being interrupted like this. **  
****  
**Now that Victoria brought up the question, Max didn’t really know what to say or ask her exactly. The past few weeks had been amazing, but there was something off about it all. Victoria, who normally basked in praise and feeling superior to everyone else, had toned down her act quite a bit, even in public. Something about it all was wrong, even if she couldn’t yet put her finger onto what that something was, exactly.  
  
“I was just thinking…” Max took a moment to gather herself. Even though she was this close to Victoria; likely closer than anyone else in human history, she was still afraid that picking the wrong words might be equivalent of stepping into a minefield. “Is...is everything okay, Victoria? I...I don’t think you’ve been yourself as of late.”   
  
Victoria let go of Max after she realized that she couldn’t distract her, not even with two of her fingers still inside of her. Hesitantly, she pulled them out of Max before wiping them on a nearby towel resting on her night bed. “Of course. Why do you ask?” Victoria puffed.  
  
Max hadn’t known Victoria for very long; at least in comparison to some of her other classmates; but even she could tell that something was wrong. Victoria was an expert when it came to lying and manipulating, but it seemed like something along the line had been able to soften and change her. Victoria was acting like Max’s question had insulted her, but that anger was faked. Max could see past it all; Victoria was faking it. She was lying. The real question was, why?  
  
 _“I know that you’re lying,”_ Max pondered as she gazed at Victoria. There was something about her that didn’t match up. On the outside, Victoria looked to be her usual gorgeous self, but on the inside, something had definitely changed. _“But I don’t know_ ** _why_** _. Are you feeling guilty? I didn’t even know that word was in your vocabulary. That’d explain why you’re treating me so differently all of sudden. But the moment I try to confront you about it, you always try to change the topic, and distract me with something else. I saw past it all already, but I played along, hoping that you’d just flat out admit it yourself, but I suppose I was asking too much of you. You still don’t trust me, after everything we’ve been through, do you? Do I mean so little to you, Victoria Maribeth Chase?”_ _  
_ _  
_Max felt a storm growing within her. She wanted to speak her mind, and say those exact words, and ask those very questions, but she couldn’t. Her happiness had been hard to achieve, and it was still treading on very thin ice. She could fake it, and pretend that everything was okay. It would be a temporary solution to a permanent problem, but it was all Max could think of right now. If she was asked right now to choose between faking it to be together with Victoria, rather than be honest and not together with her, Max would have chosen the first option every single time. She needed Victoria, even if her addiction for her love and affection pained her.  
  
“I was just…”  
  
 _“What’s the matter with you? Why are you keeping me close, yet so far away from you? I want to hold your hand, yet you push me away. Even when we’re alone, you only seem to want sex. If we’re going to be together, we should be able to talk about our feelings. Tell me Victoria. Tell me what’s wrong…”_ _  
_ _  
_“...On second thought, it’s nothing.”  
  
 _“Coward. Liar. Say it, Max, just say it!”_ _  
_ _  
_Even though Max knew this was the moment to push the issue, she could only swallow her pride and pretend like nothing was wrong. It was easier to fake her smile than to think that something about their relationship could be wrong. Her castle was made out of clouds, and it was starting to rain, but Max refused to leave her station. Even a faked happiness was better than facing the potentially grim reality of the situation.  
  
“Are you spacing out on me again, or something?” Victoria shook her head and laughed in her typical upper class manner. Max rubbed the back of her short haired head to play along, hoping that she could silence her thoughts this way.  
  
 _“Are you still afraid of her? Isn’t she supposed to be your girlfriend now? How can you think of a future together if you can’t even talk to her about how you feel?”_ _  
_ _  
_“Sorry, I suppose I am. I must be getting a bit tired, that’s all. I should probably get going now, it’s been a long day after all.” Max said as she hopped out of Victoria’s bed, before starting to put her clothes back on. Thanks to Victoria’s many rules, her clothes were always on one spot, so finding and putting them back on was both easy and quick. Looking at Victoria over her shoulder, Max saw that she was still looking at her figure, yet there wasn’t that same passion in her eyes anymore that had sparked their relationship few weeks back.  
  
 _“I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me…”_ _  
_ _  
_“You’re going to see that friend of yours tomorrow, aren’t you?” Victoria eventually asked after she had been able to look away from Max, who was now putting her jeans back on.  
  
“Chloe? Yeah. Do you wanna join us? She’s been asking a lot about you.” Max realized a moment too late that she had just indirectly admitted that at least someone else knew about their relationship.  
  
“Couldn’t keep it a secret, could you?” Victoria said with an amused, quiet laugh as she gave Max’s behind a soft slap just before she got to pull the jeans to cover her. “It’s all right. I know that she’s your good friend, so I figured out that if you were to tell someone, it’d be her. Just...don’t tell anyone here yet, okay? I’m not...ready for that just yet.”  
  
 _“Why are you hesitating? I can tell that something is bothering you, but what is it? You should be able to tell me. You should be able to trust me…”_ _  
_ _  
_“I won’t. I promise.” What made Max even more suspicious about the whole situation was the fact that Victoria was seemingly taking this so lightly. If she were to care, she would have been all riled up that Max had broken a promise, yet her reacting only with a shrug of her shoulders was the most alarming sign of them all. It meant that she didn’t care.  
  
“So um...good night kiss?” Max turned around to face Victoria after she had managed to put all of her clothes back on.  
  
“Didn’t we just kiss more than enough for a good couple of hours?” Victoria smirked in return.  
  
“It’s not the same, and you know it.” Max pouted.  
  
Victoria let out a sigh as she rose out of her bed and walked over to Max. Wrapping her arms around her, she pulled the smaller girl up against her, letting Max rest her head on her shoulders for a short while before she let go of her.  
  
“So...no kiss?” Max asked, tilting her head slightly.  
  
“I’m...not in the mood for that. Sorry.” Victoria said as she waved Max off. “Good night.”  
  
Max hesitated for a moment. She felt the urge to step in closer to Victoria, grab her by her wrist, and force her to tell the truth. She wanted to do that so much, yet she couldn’t. Instead of stepping in closer to her, Max took her leave without saying more than an automatic ‘good night’ in response, saying even that with the same passion as students had on early Monday classes: zero.  
  
Back at her own apartment, Max felt weird. She was both extremely tired and in need of sleep, yet unable to simply close her eyes and push her lingering thoughts away. Almost every day and night, she and Victoria had texted each other, as it was a way to be affectionate with each other even during school hours without the risk of breaking their agreement. But for some reason, those text messages had become less and less frequent and detailed, despite Max’s best efforts to keep them long, constant, and even frisky at times. She wasn’t getting the same response out of Victoria that she had at first and it worried her to say the least.  
  
 _“I sure hope that Chloe can help me out...tomorrow can’t come soon enough…”_ _  
_ _  
_*  
  
It was rare for the Two Whales to be full, but this time, the cult famous diner was so full that even the regular table that Chloe and Max always used for their weekly meeting was taken. Luckily there was still enough food for them as well, even though this time they had to go carry the waffles and drinks in paper bags and containers.  
  
“So, if I had to guess, things aren’t just sailing smoothly with the rich girl, huh? Viccy...Vic...Victoria was it?” Chloe asked, as she took a long slurp of her smoothie. Now that her mother wasn’t there to scold her, she was free to let out a long burp as well, followed by a satisfied snort to go with it.  
  
“But...I don’t think I’ve said anything about it to you?” Max asked hesitantly.  
  
“Girl, do you really think that I wouldn’t notice when something is wrong? It’s basically written all over your face. You’re tapping that rich pussy, yet you look like you just missed a perfect shot or some shit. I’d be a pretty lousy best friend if I couldn’t tell that something is bothering you, now wouldn’t I?” Chloe smiled as she took a hold of Max’s head to ruffle her brown hair. _  
__  
_While part of Max wanted to protest, she knew that it was pointless to try and hide something like this. Especially from Chloe. If someone knew her better than anyone, it was Chloe, after all. “Is it really that obvious, huh?” Max eventually asked, after Chloe let go of her headlock.  
  
“Yeah, it kinda is. So do I have to ask you more questions or are you going to spill the beans willingly?” Chloe gestured for Max to speak her mind while continuing to drink her smoothie noisily; trying to savor the last bits from the bottom of her cup.  
  
Putting her thoughts into words was a lot harder than Max had anticipated. She knew what bothered her, yet she couldn’t figure out a way to phrase it. Luckily though, she knew that if someone was patient and tolerant when it came to her antics, it was Chloe.  
  
“So...you see, the thing is…” Max mumbled while rubbing the back of her head. “I’m not really sure where things are going with Victoria. I mean yeah, like you said, we’re doing it and all, but it’s just like…” Max snapped her fingers a few times in hopes of finding the right words. “Like...she’s not really into it, or I mean, into me, you know?”  
  
“All righ’, listen up,” Chloe gestured for Max to sit down on a bench with her. After they had both settled down on the wooden platform, Chloe turned to face her friend before grabbing a hold of her hands. “Don’t mince your words with me, Max. You’re not good with that bullshit so don’t even try it. I know that something is bothering you, so just say it, okay? I’m the one person you’re supposed to trust with this kind of shit after all. You could text me in the middle of the night about how to properly finger a chick, but now you’re having doubts? Come on.” Chloe jokingly scolded her friend, even if her words hold a seed of truth within them.  
  
 _“She’s right. I should be able to talk to you about this.”_ _  
_ __  
“Chloe...I...I think that Victoria doesn’t really love me.” Max replied quickly and bluntly. Hesitating to look back at Chloe, Max continued: “It’s just that when...when we first got together, it was amazing and everything, I could tell that she was really into it. But as of late she’s been...distant. Whenever I’ve tried talking to her, she just...pushes me away, or tries to change the topic. I act like I don’t notice or care; like this is who she is; but I know that there’s something going on with her. It’s like...she wants me, but only for sex. And I...I don’t want that, Chloe. I want...I want more than that. I want to hold her hand and kiss her in public and...and…”  
  
It took Max a moment to realize that she was now crying. Clearly bottling it all up wasn’t the right choice, but now she had someone near her who’d always be there for her, listening and supporting her unconditionally. A few tear drops had already fell down on Max’s jeans, but soon, it was Chloe’s leather jacket that gathered the rest of them.  
  
“C-Chloe, I...I…”  
  
“Shh...just be quiet for a moment, okay? Let it all out.” Chloe assured her friend while patting Max on her back. While Max wasn’t saying anything, Chloe could tell from her surprisingly tight hold that all of this had been nagging at her for quite a while now. This wasn’t just a quick romance that one could simply discard and move out of. It was clearly more than that. At least to Max, it was. What Victoria was doing to her friend, and why, she didn’t know. But now, it was personal. No one messed with her Max like this and got away with it! Especially not some rich bitch who was used to a life with no consequences.  
  
“I just...I don’t want to lose her. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this happy, but...but I can’t keep on pretending that everything is okay when I know that’s not true.” Max said; her voice sounding weak after she had no more tears to shed.  
  
“Don’t worry Max, you don’t have to. I’ll help you out, I promise.” Chloe said as she slowly pulled herself out of Max’s hold, to give her some time to put herself back together. “Could you lend me your phone? I have to call my mom, and my battery is dead.”  
  
Max didn’t bother replying as she simply handed her phone to Chloe. Rising up from the bench, Chloe took a few steps away, leaving Max alone for a short while. It was a desperate act, but it was the only one she could think of in the heat of the moment. She had just lied to Max, but this was for her own good. Her battery was full and she had no real reason to call her mother, but she needed to get in touch with Victoria. If she were to use her own phone, the chances of her succeeding were low at best, but surely she’d follow up if it was Max who supposedly contacted her.  
  
“Heh, this might take a while. You know how it’s always weird when you’re not using your own phone,” Chloe chuckled. She didn’t expect Max to respond in the state she was in, but this at least bought her the time she needed so Max wouldn’t get suspicious. It didn’t take long for Chloe to come up with a text message, although adding an emoticon at the end of it was painful for various reasons. Not only because she hated them, but also because she wasn’t used to typing them, either.  
  
 **Max:**  
‘Meet me today at the parking lot at 10 PM. I have a surprise for you~ And don’t ask me any questions. It’s a surprise for a reason! σ(≧ε≦ｏ)’  
  
To keep up with her act, Chloe called her mom to chit chat with her. The call ended almost as quickly as it had started, as Chloe wanted to go back to tending to her friend. She’d be there to support her. At least up until it was time to have a talk with a certain someone.  
  
“How about we go for a walk? We still have some time to kill, after all.” Chloe prompted, hoping to get Max’s thoughts away from the current situation, even if only for a short while.  
  
“Y-yeah, sure.” Max replied back, forcing herself to smile in return to Chloe. While her smile was indeed fake, she was genuinely happy that Chloe was there for her.  
  
*  
  
The rest of the day had been mostly uneventful, but at the very least, Max had been able to get a huge load off her chest. Max’s tears had stained Chloe’s jacket, but they were a good reminder of what her best friend was going through. Tapping the steering wheel of her car, Chloe waited impatiently to see if Victoria would follow up with her quickly improvised plan.  
  
The night was already starting to settle in, but Chloe was still able to spot a figure in the distance. Even though Chloe herself didn’t know much about Victoria, the pictures Max had so proudly shown her had been burned into her head for good. She knew what she looked like, and without a doubt, the girl in the distance was her. Keeping the headlights on, Chloe hopped out of her car to come and meet Victoria half way.  
  
“Who are you?” Victoria asked as she looked around, trying to find the reason why she had even come here. The weather wasn’t really cold, but clearly someone was feeling that way, as Victoria was dressed in a fancy fur coat, and matching fur boots to go with the rest of her attire.  
  
“Feeling cold are you? No wonder, when you’re being such a cold hearted bitch.” Chloe spat out with her hands folded around her chest.  
  
“Excuse me, but do I know you?”  
  
“Nah, you don’t, but you’re going to.” Chloe said as she grabbed a hold of Victoria’s wrist, pulling the girl up close to her. She was breathing heavily at this point.Tthe anger was slowly getting the best of her. Just what Max saw in her, she didn’t know, but no one would treat her best friend like this and get away with it as if they had done nothing wrong.  
  
“Wait, was it you who sent me that message?” Victoria gasped as she started to put two and two together. This was all a trap. A set up to lure her out. “But...but I haven’t done anything wrong, I swear!” Victoria plead, yet it did little as Chloe wasn’t loosening up her hold of her wrist.  
  
“Then why the fuck was Max sobbing today as if she had just lost everything she had huh?! Explain that to me!” Chloe yelled, grinding her teeth together to suppress her violent desires. She wanted to make sure that Victoria would remember this for the rest of her life, but there’d be no end from hearing about it from Max for the rest of her life if she’d act irrationally now. She had been careless and irresponsible enough for one lifetime, but when someone hurt Max, it was hard for someone as emotional and hotheaded as Chloe to just stand idle either.  
  
Victoria tried to figure out a way out of this situation, but it soon dawned on her that her lie had finally caught up to her. Admitting that she was the one to blame for all of this, Victoria sighed and nodded, before lifting up her head to face the violent stranger she had now figured out to be Chloe. The girl Max had often talked about.  
  
“Fine, whatever. Yes, I don’t really love her. Is that what you want me to say, huh? Is that enough for you to calm your tits?” Victoria admitted bitterly. She knew she was to blame. She had no reason to try and turn things the other way around; but this is who she was. She hated admitting defeat; or in this case, that her actions were wrong, but there was no way around it. Even if a lot of people speculated that Victoria didn’t even have a conscious to begin with, that certainly wasn’t the case. Having to live a lie had been painful to her as well, and now she finally had to confess her actions not only to herself, but others as well.  
  
“Good. Now you go and say that to Max as well, you hear me?” Chloe tugged Victoria by her sleeve one last time before letting go of her.  
  
“Fine, fine...I will.” Victoria sighed.  
  
The more Chloe looked at Victoria, the harder it was for her to stay calm and rational about this. With Victoria being a master of keeping her emotions under control, Chloe couldn’t tell by looking at her that breaking up with Max wasn’t an easy thing for her, either. While in Chloe’s mind, she was only seeing this girl as manipulating and using her best friend for her own selfish needs, in reality, the situation was a lot more complex than that. Chloe, though, wasn’t seeing this, or realizing it. Just as Victoria was about to take her leave, she felt a hand grabbing onto her fur coat, forcing her to turn around.  
  
“What’s the matter with you?” Victoria snarled. “I already said that I’m going to tell Max, so let go!”  
  
“I know you are, but you need to learn your lesson. No one breaks Max’s heart like that.” Chloe clutched her fist together before swinging at Victoria. One hit was enough to send the other girl on the ground.  
  
“Maybe now you’ll think about your actions a bit more carefully.” Chloe said, as she took one last glance at Victoria, before taking her leave; leaving the other girl to hold her slowly swelling eye.   
  
Victoria was lying on the ground, not really understanding everything that had happened just yet. It hurt... but the pain in her heart was somehow even worse. Everything that Chloe had just said was true, and now she had to come face to face with her actions.  
  
Picking up her phone, Victoria went through her recent calls to find Max’s number. It didn’t take long for Max to answer:  
  
“Hey Victoria, is everything okay?” Max asked, clearly a bit surprised by her call.  
  
Victoria hesitated to say anything at first. Her natural instinct was to yell and curse; to threaten to sue Max’s friend for what she did; but she knew that she wouldn’t do something like that. Instead, Victoria slowly rose back onto her feet, pulling her coat back onto her shoulders before replying: “We...we need to talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking this long to update this fic. I went through a lot of personal things in the meanwhile, so that halted me and my inspiration to keep writing. Not to worry though, I will finish this fic, just be patient.


	9. Heartbreak, heartbreak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victoria knows what must be done, but it doesn’t make it any bit easier.

The pain stinging Victoria’s face hurt a lot; but it was nothing compared to the hit her ego had just taken. The worst thing about it all, though, was the fact that Victoria felt -- knew that she deserved this. There were things even she couldn’t do. Damage that no amount of money could fix. She had crossed that very line when she had given hope to someone she couldn’t keep.  
  
It was a rare moment that Victoria found herself happy to be left alone. Usually surrounded by at least her friends Taylor, Courtney and Nathan as well from time to time, it was rare to see the queen of Blackwell on her own. She could easily come up with a blatant lie to cover up her wounds, but that wasn’t the reason she didn’t want to be seen right now.  
  
The real reason was the fact that she was crying.  
  
This was truly a wake up call for her. Victoria had enjoyed the few weeks she had spent with Max, but the moment things were getting more serious, she felt her back being pressed against a wall. Even if part of her wanted to keep their relationship alive, Victoria knew that deep down this was for the best. Getting over it all would be easy for her. At least that’s what Victoria kept repeating to herself as she made her way towards the dark alleyway of the girl’s dorm.  
  
But would it truly be that easy?  
  
Surely it would. Max was nothing more than a summer’s pet, a little puppy she had acquired and now that she was starting to grow up and require actual care and responsibility, she could leave her for someone else.  
  
The allegory was fitting, but not even Victoria could feel good about herself thinking that way. Perhaps the Victoria of old could have, as she had been quick to discard people once they had served their usefulness. But there was something about Max that made her hesitate; made her feel and regret her actions.  
  
But it was too late to change the course now. This was for the best in the long run. Perhaps Max couldn’t see how their relationship would fall apart in the long run, but Victoria could. They were two very different people. Perhaps in some other life, there was a story involving a happy ending with them, but this wasn’t one of them. Victoria’s reputation meant more to her than anything else, and should she be seen hand in hand with someone like Max, there’d be no recovering from that.  
  
She was doing the right thing. It was Maxine who should be thankful of her. Maybe not now, maybe not after a few weeks, not even after a couple of months, but years from now, she’d be thankful of her.  
  
She was doing the right thing.  
  
 _You should have to thank me for this. You’re not the only one in pain here.  
  
_ Victoria hesitated. She could just go back to her own place and stay there until she felt like facing the world, but she knew that the longer she delayed this, the more it’d hurt them both. As Victoria raised her hand to knock on Max’s door, the door opened up on it’s own.  
  
“I saw you through the keyhole,” Max said, gesturing Victoria to step in. “Come on in.”  
  
Victoria was thankful that Max didn’t start her barrage of questions just yet. The both of them knew it was coming eventually, but Max knew Victoria well enough not to cause a public scene like that. Even with most students asleep or getting ready to, there was always at least a pair of ears prying down the hallway.  
  
“I… I suppose I shouldn’t really ask what happened to you,” Max flinched ever so slightly when she got a good look at Victoria’s face. Chloe hadn’t really packed her best punch, but the one she had delivered had been more than enough to make half of Victoria’s face turn red.  
  
“It was that friend of your’s, Chloe,” Victoria sighed. Before Victoria could even ask for something to ease out the pain, Max was already handing her a bag of frozen vegetables. Victoria didn’t really like how cold it was, as her fingers were still shivering from the trip outside, but she welcomed the pain relief with a short lived smile anyway. “But don’t worry, I’m not going to sue her or anything. I… I suppose I deserved this.”  
  
Max was already about to call Chloe and ask her how could she do something like this, but she stopped once she heard Victoria say that she supposedly deserved it. “Deserve it…?” Max asked, now not only with a worried, but also a puzzled look on her face. “I’m not sure I follow you.”  
  
Victoria let out a deep sigh. She had braced herself for this moment for a good few weeks by now, yet when to push came to shove, it wasn’t easier the slightest. Quite the opposite. She knew that she should have done this a long time ago, before either of them could truly develop any real feelings for each other. The worst part about it, though, was the fact that what she had to say wouldn’t only hurt Max, but herself as well.  
  
She wanted to be together with her. She enjoyed her company more than she could have ever anticipated. Just what was it about Max that made her so likable? She wasn’t sure. Maybe it was her smile. Maybe it was the fact that she was so open about what she enjoyed; never hiding herself even if it meant that she was target of easy ridicule. Maybe it was the way she hugged and kissed her. Victoria didn’t know for sure. What she did know was that she loved her and that made it all the more painful.  
  
“Max, I’m…” Victoria found herself hesitating once more. She couldn’t say it face to face. She couldn’t see the look on Max’s face when the reality came crashing down on her.  
  
“Victoria, I know what you’re going to say,” Max stepped in, her hand resting on top of Victoria’s. “You are breaking up with me, aren’t you?”  
  
For once, Victoria was left speechless. If Max knew this was going to happen, why hadn’t she brought up the topic before? Surely she knew as well, that the longer they kept up the act, the more it’d hurt. Had she also been unable to face the facts up until now? Did she also enjoy the fantasy more than reality?  
  
“Max, I…” Victoria let the bag fall to the ground as she reached out to grab a hold of Max’s hands.   
  
In past few weeks, Max had seen the side of Victoria that she so desperately tried to keep secret from the rest of the world. Now, she was seeing a broken, young woman. Back when she had first joined Blackwell, she had heard stories that Victoria was incapable of crying, but now she had a real proof that such stories were nothing more than awful rumors, spread around trying to dehumanize her.   
  
“It’s okay,” Max lied. She had been preparing herself for this moment as well, and while she was grateful that the metaphorical bandage would be removed sooner than later, she still found herself hoping it wouldn’t come to this. “I know that… I’m not the type of girl you’d really approve of over a long period of time. I mean, can you imagine how the people would look at us if they saw us holding hands as we walk down the hallways?” Max let out a hollow laugh. What hurt the most was the fact that she had imagined that very scenario countless times in her head. It wasn’t so much the coming out part that she found herself fantasizing about -- as Max was open about her sexuality even before Victoria stepped into her life -- but to show their love so openly. But clearly, it was all just a silly, self indulgent fantasy that would never come true.  
  
“I wish I could be the person you’re thinking that I am, but… I’m not,” Victoria pretty much whispered at this point as she pulled her hands away to rest on her lap instead. “I don’t know what made you fall in love with me, but you’re making me out to be someone I’m not.”  
  
Max felt like interrupting Victoria, but one glance told her that this time it was for the best to let her finish her speech.  
  
“I… I wish that I could be the girl you’ve fallen in love with. I wish that… that I had the courage to be everything you’re seeing in me, because even though you’ve seen a lot more than most people ever will, I’m not… ready for it.” Victoria took a moment to put herself back together.  
  
The silence between them was heavy. Victoria was expecting, hoping even, that Max would get angry, but seeing her be so peaceful and calm about it only made her feel worse. She had known this would happen too, but like a drug, she had willingly let it hurt her, even if only for those few moments of blissfulness.  
  
“Victoria,” Max lifted up her head. She had to force herself to smile, as otherwise she’d be crying at this point. “I have no hard feelings for you. I-I mean sure, I suppose I did kind of… go after someone way out of my league, but I mean, not to sound too sappy or anything but I suppose it’s one of those things our hearts decide and not us,” Max let out a weak laugh before continuing: “I can’t really… make you see the same woman I’m seeing right here, right now, but… I think you’re pretty awesome, Victoria.”  
  
 __Don’t you dare to be nice to me now, Caulfield…  
  
“I mean once you walk outside of this room, I suppose we’re done for, but I’ll always remember these past few weeks fondly. A-and don’t worry, I’ll be sure to keep the photos away from others, so no funny rumors start to spread around. I mean it’d be pretty awful if others knew that you and me…” It took Max a moment to realize that her nervous rambling was now sounding more like someone holding a wedding speech. She had reached her breaking point and now she couldn’t keep up her act anymore.  
  
Victoria knew she couldn’t just stand idle and watch it all unfold like this. Even if half of the school was under the impression that she was heartless, and now was in many ways the worst time to prove them wrong, Victoria knew what had to be done. Reaching out for Max, she grabbed a tight hold of her. It was the second time within one day that Max was crying on someone’s shoulder.  
  
It was exactly moments like these that’d make the inevitable that much harder, but Max was grateful to know that she wasn’t the only one feeling this way. At this point, the acts of intimacy were supposed to be kept at zero, just to make it easier to stay away from one another, yet Max found herself tightening her hold of Victoria, keeping  the tall girl close to her.  
  
She was expecting her to push her away, but to surprise, that didn’t happen.  
  
What did happen however, surprised her even more.  
  
“I want you to know, that you’ll always have a place in my heart, Max,” Victoria whispered into Max’s ear before reaching out for her chin. Guiding her head so their eyes would meet, she leaned in for a one last kiss. This time, it wasn’t one filled with passion, but rather a bittersweet goodbye. It was a mutual feeling to prolong the kiss, but when Victoria pulled back, Max knew it was for the best to let her go.  
  
“I’ll… see you tomorrow then,” Max said with a weak smile on her face.  
  
“...Yeah,” Victoria replied after picking up her belongings. With one last glance, she closed the door, leaving behind this short, yet unforgettable chapter of her life.


	10. Confrontation with myself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With what she has done looming over her, Victoria has to confort what she fears the most: herself.

~~~~ Attending class had never truly been hard for Victoria. She had always been the type who had little to no problem waking up early and keeping up with the subjects being taught, even if her success came at the cost of her social life at times. This time though, there was something bothering her. It was an uneasy feeling swelling inside of her. One that painfully reminded her of it’s presence whenever there was a role call.   
  
“Max Caulfield?” Michelle asked while looking around the class.   
  
“She’s not here,” Kate replied while looking at the empty seat right next to her.   
  
“Right. Well, I assume you can tell her what chapters to read and what’s for homework, Kate? I wouldn’t mind doing that myself, but as all of you probably know, the school email isn’t exactly the most reliable thing we have here in Blackwell, so--”   
  
“Yes, of course,” Kate nodded.   
  
As Michelle’s voice turned into white noise inside Victoria’s head, she couldn’t help but to look at Kate and the empty seat right next to her. Max had always been there, preferring to sit rather far in the back if possible so that she wouldn’t be the center of attention. Now, there was nothing.   
  
Just as Victoria was about to turn away and instead try to focus her attention on the textbook in front of her, her gaze met with Kate’s. They didn’t exchange a single word, yet that brief moment was enough to tell a lot more than mere words ever could. It was clear that Kate knew about Victoria, her relationship, and what had happened in between, but chose not to make a big deal out of it, even if it most likely was a big deal.   
  
“Victoria Chase?” Michelle’s familiar voice shook Victoria from her thoughts.   
  
“H-here!”   
  
*   
  
The class ended soon enough, but Victoria couldn’t really tell if it had lasted for ten minutes or two hours. It was rare for her to dissociate like this, yet her thoughts kept on escaping her no matter how hard she tried to focus. No matter what was written on the chalkboard, no matter how many times she read the lines of her textbook, nothing seemed to stick in her brain. Had she even been to the class, or was this all a dream?   
  
“Victoria,” Kate’s said while gently nudging Victoria’s shoulder. “Victoria, we need to talk. About… you know...”   
  
Victoria could tell from Kate’s concerned voice alone what their topic of discussion would be about. “Right… I’m going to assume you mean Max and not my nose?” Victoria asked jokingly, knowing just how curious pretty much all the students were about how that had happened, let alone to her. “How is she holding up exactly? She’s not responding to my text messages.” Victoria asked, gesturing for Kate to sit down next to her.   
  
“Well… as someone who is pretty much a self taught expert when it comes to depression, not all that great,” Kate replied bluntly, seemingly ignoring the nose comment entirely. After all, she wasn’t the prying type, but she could, and had, put the pieces together in her head some time ago.   
  
Victoria hesitated for a moment to look up at Kate, as she had been, to a good degree, the cause in that said depression. Luckily, that was past them at this point, yet it was something that still bothered Victoria to this day.   
  
“Yeah, I knew it’d be hard on her, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad.”   
  
With a sigh, Kate sat down next to Victoria. Turning to look at her, she placed her hand on Victoria’s leg to properly get her distracted attention. “It can’t be all that easy for you, either. Just because you’re here doesn’t mean you’re doing that much better. You were really spaced out there, you know?”   
  
Victoria didn’t feel like answering that question, despite knowing it to be true. Whenever there was something bothering her, she had been the type to distract herself with something. Anything so that her mind wouldn’t have the time to dwell on it. In school, the most natural distraction were the subjects, but even that could only go so far.   
  
“I… I suppose you’re right,” Victoria hesitantly replied. “But as much as I like talking about me, it’s Max that I’m worried about.”   
  
The self parodying joke didn’t go unnoticed, as Kate let out a quiet little snort. It eased up the tension a bit. Enough for Kate to also visibly relax. “Yeah, she… I think you need to go and talk to her.”   
  
Victoria’s eyes flashed open, yet she didn’t say anything. She knew that she’d have to confront Max someday, but much like how most students in Blackwell hit the snooze button, she preferred pressing delay for as long as possible instead of facing the harsh reality of the situation. “But…”   
  
“But what?” Kate stepped in. It was rare for someone as quiet and timid as Kate to be this bold, let alone in the company of someone like Victoria. Perhaps it was thanks to the two of them being alone, sitting in an empty classroom, or because their topic was about someone they both deeply cared about. Whatever the case, it seemed like Kate wasn’t going to back down or let Victoria off the hook that easily.   
  
“I’m really not sure if that’s a good idea,” Victoria said in protest. Once again, she found herself avoiding Kate; preferring to look away rather than face her properly. “The last thing I want to do now it to hurt her even more.”   
  
Before Victoria could say anything else, she felt Kate’s soft hand reach out to grab a hold of her own hand instead. Even though she had been bullied, let alone by her, it seemed like Kate had been able to push all that aside and move on. Where she found such strength to forgive, Victoria didn’t really know, but what she did know was that Kate was right. She couldn’t avoid her responsibilities, even if comforting them would most certainly be painful.   
  
“I think that deep down you already know what you need to do,” Kate said, tightening her hold of Victoria’s hand. “But before you do that, there is something that you need to decide and be fully certain about.”   
  
Victoria turned her head slowly. She didn’t say a word, as instead she simply waited for Kate to continue. Kate in turn was silent as well, waiting for Victoria to fully turn around before she’d open her mouth to speak her mind.   
  
“What is it that you want? What is more important to you? Your reputation, or your happiness?”   
  
Kate’s word struck deep and hard. So much so that Victoria tried to pull away from Kate’s hold, only to find her hold being much stronger than she could have imagined. This had been her natural reaction for as long as she could remember; running away from the harsh realities of life. For every little imperfection, there were expensive jewels and earrings to fill in those gaps. For every insecurity and doubt, there was a book about looking and acting like you owned the entire world. Movies, television shows... Victoria had built a world and self image that was at the same time both made out of steel and glass that was seemingly impenetrable, yet fragile at the same time.   
  
“I… I don’t know,” Victoria sighed in defeat. It was that very dilemma that had haunted her her entirely life. For as long as she could remember, Victoria had been willing to sacrifice her individuality and her own personal happiness for what she deemed to be a bigger picture. The larger goal. If the price of success was sacrificing your youth and happiness, it’d be a low price to pay, she had thought. By keeping herself distant, there simply wasn’t a way for anyone genuine enough to care for her, let alone get close to her, yet somehow Max had found her way into her heart.   
  
Kate tugged Victoria by her hands, causing the taller girl to lean down a bit to her level. “Yes. Yes, you do. Deep down I know you do. You simply have to be honest to her, and above all else, to yourself. I know that’s not easy, I… I should have asked for help a lot sooner back then, and look where that almost got me.”   
  
Kate was indeed a living example of just that. She had known what she should have done, yet she had avoided doing just that until the almost bitter end. “All I want to say is that you have a decision to make, but it is a decision that you  _ have _ to make. Simply avoiding it, isn’t going to be an option. It’s not something that is going to resolve itself. You know that.”   
  
Victoria listened to Kate in silence, hesitantly nodding every now and then. She didn’t want to face the harsh reality of the situation; the consequences of her actions and indecisiveness; especially not when they were coming back to haunt her like this. However, there was no escaping it this time around, no matter how much and how hard she’d try to sweep it under the rug. “I suppose you’re right,” Victoria admitted.    
  
Of course she had known that to be true for ages, but never before had she felt actually compelled to do something about it. She had sacrificed friendships in the past, letting go of people in favor of personal gain or her reputation, but now things were different. Max Caulfield wasn’t just anybody. Not someone she’d be willing to get close to her, only to be thrown away. No. She was different. Most people who had been willing to tolerate her or who had been nice to her had been much like Victoria herself; trying to use her to gain from her. Most people saw her as nothing more than a pretty face with more money than one knew what to do with, so naturally her perception of people had shaped up in the same way over the years.   
  
But Max was different. Not once had she been interested in her reputation, her fame, or her money, but rather for who she truly was. For so long she had been blinded by her own perception of the world and the fake people she had surrounded herself with that it was hard for her to see the good people in the midst of the liars and manipulators. Pushing people away had been the natural defense mechanism for someone who didn’t know what a genuine relationship with other people was actually like. What she had done was wrong, and now it was time to make up for her mistakes.   
  
“Thank you, Kate. I… I think that I always knew what I needed to do, but sometimes you just… need a push, I guess.”   
  
Victoria was so lost in her thoughts that Kate actually pushing her took her completely by surprise. It was a playful gesture above all else. More to elaborate on what Victoria had just said than anything else. “Yes, exactly that. We all need other people to help us out. At the end of the day, we’re not all that different in that regard.” Kate said as she extended her hand to help Victoria stand up. The taller girl grabbed a hold of Kate’s hand and got herself back up, lifting herself up to stand properly.   
  
“I’ll talk to her. Besides, it’s not the same without her. She’s certainly not the most talkative student out there, but she has… a presence of her own.”   
  
Kate nodded, flashing Victoria a warm smile. “Yes. And like I said, I think that deep down you already know what matters to you more between your happiness and your reputation, don’t you?”   
  
Victoria looked down at the tiled floor and then at her hands before lifting her head to look at Kate. With a hesitant and barely noticeable nod, she replied: “Yes… yes I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been a while since I wrote this fic, and I apologize for that. I won't get too much into details as to why, but I'm trying to finish this one now instead of letting it hang in the air unfinished.

**Author's Note:**

> You can also find me at tumblr http://lordofspiritsandbazongas.tumblr.com/ If you have ideas, suggestions, feedback, comment, anything like that, feel free to contact me.


End file.
